Team-Referent Attributions Among Sport Performers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a team-referent attribution scale. Conducted over three studies, Study 1 modified items from McAuley, Duncan, and Russell's (1992) Causal Dimension Scale II by rewording items to reflect team attributions and adding one item per factor. This led to the development of a 16-item scale (Causal Dimension Scale-T, CDS-T). Study 2 tested competing models of attribution theory among a sample of 433 team sport players. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated strongest support for a four-factor model (robust comparative fit index = .961; root mean squared error of approximation = .054). Study 3 tested the predictive validity of the scale among a sample of 201 team players. Results indicated that winners reported more internal and stable attributions than losers. Further, performances perceived as successful were associated with stable attributions. The results of the study, therefore, suggest that the CDS-T provides a valid measure of team-referent attributions in sport.

Causal Attributions of Success and Failure and Mood States in Football Players

“…The results of previous research by other authors are comparable to a certain extent in this respect [6,7,8,19]. It can be expected that in similar situations these players would be likely to perceive their own skills, aptitudes, or effort as the cause of their success and to see failure as caused by factors beyond their control.…”

“…Moreover, other authors noted that athletes who had won made internal and stable attributions more frequently than those who had lost [5,6,7].…”

A theoretical framework and research agenda for studying team attributions in sport

“…That is, if the competition being played is not viewed as an important part of the individual's self-concept (i.e. it is a meaningless encounter) then there is little reason to bias attributions to protect self-esteem (Greenlees, Lane, Thelwell, Holder, & Hobson, 2005). Research in team sport has shown some support this notion with female athletes reporting a greater use of stable attributions for team success than for team failure only when the competition is perceived as particularly important (Greenlees et al, 2007).…”

Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Beliefs, Coping Strategies, and Academic Performance: An Evaluation of Theoretical Models

“…This study did find, however, that personal control (r = .36), internal locus of causality (r = .38), and stability (r = .35) equally predicted self-efficacy. Second, the high correlations between these subscales found in this study, and others (see Greenlees, Lane, Thelwell, Holder, & Hobson, 2005), created a multicollinearity concern. The consequences of this are imprecise and unstable structural coefficients.…”