Which one of the following individuals clearly has state anxiety?
a. Ann doesn't like physical education class because she knows she's not much of an athlete.
b. Bob has always had a fear of heights.
c. Chris panics when he discovers he studied the wrong chapter for today's quiz.
d. Dana has always struggled with mathematics, so she takes only the minimum number of math courses required for high school graduation.
Question 2
Perspectives such as behaviorism and social cognitive theory show us how the consequence (reinforcement or punishment) of a particular behavior affects the extent to which the behavior is likely to appear again. Attribution theory has cast a new light on this notion, maintaining that the consequences of behavior will affect each person's learning and future behavior differently, depending on how the individual interprets those consequences. Within the context of attribution theory:
a. Explain what motivation theorists mean when they talk about attributions.
b. Explain how students' responses to failure are likely to be different when they attribute that failure to a controllable cause or to an uncontrollable one. Give a concrete example to illustrate your explanation.
c. Describe three specific strategies you might use to foster more productive attributions in your students. In each case, use attribution theory to explain why you think the strategy will be effective.