Patterns of Causal Attribution among University Students for their Success and Failure in light of some Variables (Gender and Freedom of Choice of Academic Majors)

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the types of causal attribution for

success and failure among university students in the light of variables of

gender and the freedom in choosing college majors. The sample consisted

of (498) students selected randomly from the faculties of the university,

according to the presented classes in the semester, then (15) classes were

chosen by cluster random. The instrument used in the study was the Lefcurt

scale of the causal attribution for success and failure which was modified to

suit the Jordanian community.

The results showed that the university students attributed their success to

internal causes such as ability and effort, and their failure to unstable causes

such as effort, luck, and assistance of others. The results also showed that there

were no significant differences in causal attribution types due to gender. As

for the freedom in college major choice variable, the results showed that there

were no significant differences in the causal attribution types in the internal

and external causes of the success and the stable causes of the failure due to

that variable, but there were significant differences in attributing the failure

to unstable causes, since the students who choose their majors according to

their inclinations attributed their failure to unstable ones.

In the light of these results, there were some recommendations such as

training students in the internal, causal attribution, and in choosing their

majors by themselves.