Individual differences in attributional style: the relational influence of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and sex role identity

doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(01)00003-4

Personality and Individual Differences

Volume 32, Issue 2, 19 January 2002, Pages 183-196

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(01)00003-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to expand on achievement attribution research by investigating the relationship between individual differences in attributional styles for success and failure and sex, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and sex role identity. A sample of 163 undergraduate students at a large midwestern university completed a test packet containing the Attributional Style Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Multiple correlation and regression analyses were used to analyze their responses. Results indicated that masculinity and self-esteem were important in the prediction of the adaptive success attributions of women and masculinity was important in the prediction of the adaptive success attributions of men, however, sex and femininity had little relationship with success and failure attributions. Masculinity was the best unique predictor of attributional styles for success and failure. In addition, better prediction occurred for attributional styles for success than attributional styles for failure. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.

Section snippets

Masculinity, self-esteem, and attributional style

The research evidence concerning a positive relationship between a masculine sex role identity and self-esteem emerged in connection with efforts to substantiate the androgyny model of psychological adjustment (Kelly & Worell, 1977, Whitley, 1983). According to the model, an androgynous sex role identity (i.e. a high degree of masculine and feminine sex role traits) was optimal because it maximized psychological adjustment by allowing an individual the behavioral flexibility to respond

Sex and attributional style

In the area of reformulated learned helplessness theory and depression, efforts to investigate a possible differential relationship between sex, attributional style, and depression have yielded inconsistent results. Berndt, Berndt and Kaiser (1982) found that, compared to men, women made more global attributions in successful affiliative outcomes and in unsuccessful achievement situations. In contrast, Johnston and Page (1991) and Handal, Gist and Weiner (1987) reported no statistically

Self-efficacy, masculinity, and attributional style

Information about the relationship between masculinity and self-efficacy has been reported in the sex role and psychological adjustment research literature. When investigating psychological adjustment and sex role identity, Adams and Sherer (1985) found that masculine men and women were more psychologically adjusted than those classified as androgynous, feminine or undifferentiated and that the masculinity scale on the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974) was correlated with assertiveness and

Purpose

In an effort to broaden the research into sex differences in attributions for achievement outcomes, the purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between attributional style and sex, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and sex role identity. The goal was to provide a clearer description of the influence that self-efficacy, self-esteem and sex role identity may have on individual differences in the attributional styles of men and women. Based on previous research into psychological well-being

Participants

The initial pool of participants in this study included 231 undergraduate students (79 males and 152 females) from a university with an enrollment greater than 26,000. Test packets received from 68 individuals (25 men and 43 women) were not used in the data analyses due to improper or incomplete responses on one or more of the instruments in the test packet. The final sample included 163 participants (54 men and 109 women). Age ranges of the participants were: (1) 18–20 years, n=120 (33 men and

Descriptive data

The means, standard deviations, and correlations for men and women are presented in Table 1, Table 2. One way analysis of variance was done to test for sex differences on any of the measures. Significant differences were found for scores on masculinity, F (1, 161) = 29.594, P = 0.000 and femininity, F (1, 161) = 16.314, P=0.000. As expected, men scored higher on masculinity than women, and women scored higher on femininity than men.

The correlation matrixes indicate overlap between predictors.

Discussion

As expected, sex and femininity did not significantly add to the prediction of individual differences in attributional styles for success or failure. However, self-esteem and masculinity made a contribution to the prediction of success attributional styles for women, and masculinity was important in the prediction of success attributional styles for men. Contrary to expectations, self-efficacy did not significantly add to the prediction of male or female attributional styles for success or

Conclusion and recommendations

The purpose of this study was to expand the knowledge base concerning individual differences in attributional responses to success and failure. The results have demonstrated some important relationships between attributional styles for success and failure and self-efficacy, self-esteem, masculinity, and femininity. Specifically, the degree to which men and women identify with masculine or instrumental sex role traits is likely to have a strong influence on their attributional responses to

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Individual differences in attributional style: the relational influence of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and sex role identity

Abstract

Section snippets

Masculinity, self-esteem, and attributional style

Sex and attributional style

Self-efficacy, masculinity, and attributional style

Purpose

Participants

Descriptive data

Discussion

Conclusion and recommendations

Personality and Individual Differences

Journal of Research in Personality

Journal of Research in Personality

Learned helplessness in humanscritique and reformulation

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Sex-role orientation and psychological adjustmentimplications for the masculinity model

Sex Roles

Self-esteem as a function of masculinity in both sexes

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

The relationship of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny to self-esteem

Australian Journal of Psychology

Achievement motivation for males and females as a determinant of attributions for success and failure

Sex Roles

The relationship between sex roles and mental health: a meta-analysis of twenty-six studies

The Counseling Psychologist

The measurement of psychological androgyny

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Manual of the Bem Sex Role Inventory

Attributional styles for helplessness and depressionthe importance of sex and situational context

Sex Roles

Gender differences in depression in college students

Sex Roles

Gender roles and self-esteema consideration of environmental factors

Journal of Counseling & Development

From individual differences to social categoriesAnalysis of a decade's research on gender

American Psychologist

Explanations of successful performance on sex-linked taskswhat is skill for the male is luck for the female

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Sex differences in achievementa test of alternate theories

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Masculinity, femininity, self-esteem, and subclinical depression

Sex Roles

The rosy glow of self-esteemDepression, masculinity, and causal attributions

Australian Journal of Psychology

The dimensionality of self-esteem: II. hierarchical facet model for revised measurement scales

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Considering the social context in gender research

Psychology of Women Quarterly

Assessing the theoretical models for sex differences in causal attributions for success and failure

Sex Roles

The differential relationship between attribution and depression for male and female college students

Sex Roles

Current issues in attribution theory and research

Annual Review of Psychology

Surviving a failureEfficacy and a laboratory based test of the hopelessness model of depression

European Journal of Social Psychology

Attributional styles

Subject age and gender as predictors of life stress, attributional style, and personal adjustment

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science

New formulations of sex roles and androgynya critical review

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

The impact of gender-role identity on women's self-esteem, lifestyle satisfaction and conflict

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science

Gender role and psychological adjustment

Archives of Sexual Behavior

Review of Bem Sex-Role Inventory