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This paper presents a three-stage model of academic probation that addresses cognitive, affective (emotional), behavioral, and environmental factors. The first stage examines the precursors to probation—factors that inhibit student performance. The second stage focuses on student reactions to being placed on probation. The various strategies students use to cope with probation are then used to predict the third stage or long-term consequences of probation. The key assumption behind this model is that student causal ascriptions for probation are an important predictor of future performance and self-concept. Intervention strategies are proposed that focus on attributional retraining in addition to traditional programs. Finally, it is hoped that this model will promote heuristic research concerning at-risk students as well as those on academic probation.

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How do students' conceptualize the causes of their own academic successes and failures? Taking a phenomenological approach, students identified the causes of their performance immediately following return of a graded examination. We then used factor and item analyses to organize causes that were identified by a substantial number of students into meaningful conceptual clusters, and confirmed those empirically derived clusters in a different sample of students using confirmatory factor analysis. That analysis indicated that students' descriptions of the causes of their outcomes were consistent with a hierarchical model in which specific causes such as effort and ability are subsumed in one of two more general clusters-facilitating causes and inhibiting causes-but many students explained their outcome by identifying causes from both categories. At a practical level, measuring unitary causes proved to be a reliable and valid way of assessing spontaneous thoughts about what causes academic outcomes.