Differences in causal attributions of academic performance in secondary school students with learning difficulties based on the type of difficulty and their engagement in other rewarding activities

Abstract

This study analyses causal attributions in secondary school students and whether these attributions vary according to the type of difficulty, as well as to success in other areas of personal performance. Patterns of causal attributions and their relation to academic performance and to participation in sports and artistic activities, were assessed on a sample of 371 students aged 13 to 16, of whom 67 were diagnosed with learning difficulties. Results show that the greater the difficulty, the greater the attribution in considering effort as the main cause for achieving success in their learning process; no differences were found by the type of difficulty. Likewise, findings indicate that when students with learning difficulties feel competent in non-academic areas, they can develop better predisposition to achievement. This could have an impact on their ability to cope with learning, their perception of competence and self-regulation processes.