Explain what psychologists mean when they talk about ...

[chads108]

Explain what psychologists mean when they talk about attributions. Then:
 
  a. 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.
   b. Describe three specific strategies you might use to foster more productive attributions in your students. In each case, explain why you think the strategy will be effective.

Question 2

Describe how students' anxiety level is likely to affect their classroom learning and performance, being sure to include the concepts of facilitating anxiety and debilitating anxiety in your discussion.
 
  Then describe three strategies you can use to keep students' anxiety at a productive level.

[Moriaki]

Answer to Question 1

An attribution is a student's explanation regarding why a specific event (perhaps a success or failure) has occurred.
a. Students are more likely to respond appropriately to failurefor example, to try harder or use a different strategyif they believe they have control over the factors contributing to their failure. They are unlikely to change their behavior if they think the source of the failure is beyond their control. The response should include a concrete example illustrating the difference.
b. Possible strategies for promoting productive attributions include these (the response should describe three strategies, which may include those listed below and/or other strategies justifiable from the perspective of attribution theory):
 Provide sufficient instruction and support that students can experience success if they exert reasonable effort.
 Make responsereinforceme nt contingencies clear.
 Communicate high yet realistic expectations for student performance.
 Attribute students' successes to both high ability and such controllable internal factors as effort or learning strategies.
 Attribute students' successes to effort only when they have exerted a great deal of effort.
 Attribute students' failures to factors they can control.
 Attribute students' failures to a lack of effort only when they clearly haven't tried very hard.
 Help students acquire more effective learning strategies.
 Define success as eventual rather than immediate mastery.
 Evaluate students in terms of the improvement they're making.
 Minimize competition among students.
The response should provide a reasonable justification of each strategy it describes.

Answer to Question 2

Generally speaking, some anxiety promotes learning and performance; this is facilitating anxiety. A great deal of anxiety often interferes with effective learning and performance; this is debilitating anxiety. Easy, automatic tasks are often facilitated by high levels of anxiety, but more difficult tasks are best undertaken with low or moderate levels. Possible strategies a teacher can use to keep students at a facilitative level include the following (the response should list at least three of these or other, well-justified strategies):
 Communicate clear expectations for students' performance.
 Hold realistic expectations for students' achievement.
 Match the level of instruction to students' current knowledge and abilities.
 Provide support or scaffolding to help students master subject matter.
 Teach effective learning and study strategies so that students can be successful.
 Assess students' performance independently of how other students are performing (i.e., don't grade on the curve).
 Provide specific feedback rather than global evaluations.
 Allow students to correct errors.

[chads108]

Excellent

[brbarasa]

Great answer, keep it coming