The Effect of Failure on Self-Concept

The purpose of this research was to investigate the causes attributed by undergraduate music students to situations of failure and success in public music performance. Attributional Theory has been used in this research as the theoretical framework to understand how situations of success and failure are interpreted by the person of the activity. The analysis was conducted from an Intrapersonal perspective of motivation, i.e., how the attributions made by the students doing an undergraduate course in music revealed their notions and beliefs. The methodology used included a non-probabilistic survey and the data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire involving 130 undergraduate music students of southern Brazil. The results show that in situations considered to be successful, the most frequent attributed causes are effort (77.7%), persistence (65.4%), and interest in the performance (63.1%), whereas in situations considered to be failures the most important aspects are emotional (60.8%), difficulty of the task (36.2%), and lack of effort (30.8%). This research shows that students who have more musical experience regard their performances as good or excellent, whereas those that have little experience do not view themselves in this way. The data reveal that the greater the importance that is attached to an activity, the more time is spent on preparing for it; in the same way students tend to be more engaged with musical activities and devote more time to them when they are aware of their skills and value them. Music students feel responsible for their results, which shows that they are engaged in their learning and seek to satisfy an inner need to achieve success.

Preclinical evaluation of the wear of total knee replacements (TKR) is usually undertaken using International Standards Organization (ISO) test methods. Two international standards for the preclinical wear simulation of TKRs have been developed; using either force or displacement control. In addition, based on previously published measured kinematics of healthy subjects, a gait cycle (displacement control) was also developed at the University of Leeds, which pre-dates the ISO displacement control standard. Furthermore, different test methods have adopted different approaches to defining the centres of rotation and polarity (direction of application) of motions. However, the effects of using these different control regimes and input conditions on the kinematics, contact mechanics, and wear of any one TKR have not been fully investigated previously.The current study investigated the kinematics, contact mechanics, and wear performance of a TKR when running under ISO force and displacement control test methods as well as the Leeds gait cycle inputs using experimental and computational simulation methods, with the aim of understanding the mechanical and tribological outcomes predicted by the different test method standard conditions. Three ISO wear testing standards were investigated using a mid-size Sigma curved TKR (DePuy, UK), with moderately cross-linked UHMWPE curved inserts; ISO-14243-3-2004, ISO-14243-3-2014 and ISO-14243-1-2009. In addition, the Leeds displacement control gait cycle was also investigated.According to the computational simulation predictions, reversing the anterior-posterior (AP) displacement and tibial rotation polarities in the displacement control ISO-2014 standard compared to the ISO-2004 standard resulted in high stress, of more than 65 MPa, at the posterior edge of the inserts with more than 10% increase in wear rate for this TKR design. Although Leeds gait input kinematics produced femoral rollback, it did not result in high stress edge loading on the posterior lip of the insert. This was attributed to different test input kinematics and different centres of rotation of the femoral component adopted in the displacement control standard ISO-2014 and Leeds gait test methods. The predicted AP displacement and tibial rotation from the force control ISO-2009 had different polarities and magnitudes to the corresponding displacement control profiles. In addition, the predicted wear rate, from the computational model, under the force control ISO-2009 standard was more than double that predicted under displacement control ISO standards due to the increased AP displacement and tibial rotation motions predicted under the force control standard.These major differences, in the mechanics and wear, between different test methods imply that each standard must therefore be used with its own predicate control results from a device with proven clinical history and results across different standards should never be compared, as the choice of test method standard may well be dependent on the design solution for the knee. Clinically, the kinematics in the population are extremely variable, which results in highly variable wear rates. While a standard method is necessary, on its own it is not adequate and needs to be supported by tests under a portfolio of representative conditions with different kinematic conditions, different soft tissue constraints, as well as with different alignments, so that the variability and range of wear rates expected clinically might be determined. This study enables further progress towards the definition of such a portfolio of representative conditions, by deepening the understanding of the relationships between currently used input conditions and the resulting mechanical and wear outputs.

The main reason for the reduced levels of sleep we see in the modern 24/7 society has been the artificial lighting that lights up our evenings. Longitudinal and transversal epidemiologic studies indicate that the number of daily hours of sleep has fallen since 1960 to date from 8 to 6 h. A particular group of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells containing a primitive photopigment, melanopsin, are photoreceptors that allow adjustments of the biological clock. Artificial light striking the retina from dusk until dawn exerts a strong inhibitory activity of hypothalamic neurons that induce sleep and a strong excitatory activity of brain mechanisms that maintain wakefulness. A suppression of the nocturnal release of melatonin occurs. The distribution of sleep disorders as a function of socioeconomic status indicates that the very low socioeconomic stratum had a higher percentage of subjects with poor quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness. Shift work disorder is increasingly found among several groups of workers. Over 10 % of night workers and rotating workers met criteria for a shift work disorder. There are major individual differences in susceptibility to shift work disorder, and susceptibility can lead to accidents and comorbidity, including metabolic syndrome, ischemic heart disease, and cancer. Among guidelines for effective management of shift work disorder, appropriately timed bright light treatment has proven helpful in assisting in phase shifts. Planned napping just before or on the job combined with caffeinated drinks has been reported to reduce sleepiness and improve alertness while working. Melatonin (2–3 mg) is effective at promoting daytime sleep, both by causing sleepiness and by inducing phase shifting. The only way to solve sleep deprivation is to sleep. In general, after sleep deprivation one-third of the total lost sleep time, 100 % of slow-wave sleep, and 30–50 % of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep are recovered. Therefore, the estimated 10 h of sleep deficit accumulated during the week can be recovered by sleeping about 90 min more daily on weekends.

The supervision process is examined from an attributional perspective. Counselor supervision is conceptualized as an interactional process in which trainees learn to describe and manage cause‐effect relationships. Attribution theory from the social psychological literature is reviewed, and common biases and errors in the attribution process are discussed in terms of their relationship to supervision. Finally, several interventions are proposed to help supervisors minimize the influence of these attributional biases on their own and their trainees' perceptions and behaviors.

We argue that although attributional processes appear to affect virtually all goal and reward oriented behavior in organizations, they have not received adequate attention in the organizational sciences. In this Incubator, we encourage scholars to unlock the potential of attribution theory to develop more complete explanations of organizational behavior. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Numerous conceptual and empirical studies advance the notion that first movers achieve long-term competitive advantages. These studies purport to demonstrate the presence of a systematic direct relationship between order of entry for products, brands, or businesses and market share. However, an objective assessment of the literature suggests that this view must be qualified. A broadened perspective is presented that highlights the complexity of this phenomenon and suggests that first-mover status may or may not produce sustainable advantages because of a multiplicity of controllable and uncontrollable forces. A conceptual framework identifying factors that underlie first-mover advantage and product-market contingencies that moderate the order of entry-competitive advantage relationship is proffered. Several research propositions relevant for marketing theory and practice are presented.

This article discusses the prospects and problems of applying theoretical constructs and empirical findings in the area of human attribution and judgmental processes to cognitive behavioral treatment approaches. The widespread existence of biases and judgmental errors among lay people are discussed together with suggestions for the uses of techniques to reduce these biases. Finally, the limitations of attributional retraining and debiasing techniques are highlighted particularly for clients with more severe problems where traditional behavioral and or pharmacological interventions may also be required.

The purpose of this study was to examine postprogram exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors who participated in the Group Psychotherapy and Home-Based Physical Exercise (GROUP-HOPE; Courneya, Friedenreich, Sela, Quinney, & Rhodes, 2002) trial. At the completion of the GROUP-HOPE trial, 46 of 51 (90%) participants in the exercise group completed measures of attribution theory constructs. A 5-week follow-up self-report of exercise was then completed by 30 (65%) participants. Correlational analyses indicated that program exercise, perceived success, expected success, and affective reactions were strong predictors of postprogram exercise. In multivariate stepwise regression analyses, program exercise and perceived success were the strongest predictors of postprogram exercise. Additionally, perceived success was more important than objective success in understanding the attribution process, and it interacted with personal control to influence expected success and negative affect. Finally, postprogram quality of life and changes in physical fitness were correlates of perceived success. We concluded that attribution theory may have utility for understanding postprogram exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors.

Teaching the complexities of biological sex determination with the goal of creating a more inclusive classroom and perhaps challenging key components of the oversimplified rhetoric of the gender binary.

Many past studies have demonstrated that situationally-manipulated attributions influence an observer's emotional reactions toward, and willingness to help another in need. Less research has examined how individual differences in the attribution process may relate to such outcomes. The present study examined the relationship between individual differences in attributional complexity (Fletcher et al., 1986) and empathy (Davis, 1983) among a sample of 180 undergraduate students. in line with expectations, individuals scoring higher in attributional complexity reported higher levels of perspective taking and empathic concern and perspective taking largely mediated the relationship between attributional complexity and empathic concern.

Through the use of posed vignettes in a telephone survey, we investigate the construction of heroes. We examine the extent to which respondents attribute hero status to three potential 9/11 and “war on terrorism” heroes: Todd Beamer, Army Private Jessica Lynch, and President George W. Bush. Findings suggest the importance of the extraordinary nature and the rarity of action(s) performed by heroes in the attribution of hero status; the role of class, status, and party in the attribution process; and the moral consideration of what should be done in each posed vignette. In addition, the study indicates the utility of attribution theory for the sociological examination of heroism and the viability of normative constructs in examining heroic behavior.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a positive and functional attributional model of leadership, using both leadership perceptions and leadership effectiveness as criteria. Drawing from cognitive complexity theory, and attributional complexity theory, this article identifies attributional accuracy of managers as the fundamental component of the functional model developed here. The model of leadership developed here focuses on such key leadership constructs as leader information processing using complex schemata, leader attributions and their accuracy, leader behaviors that follow their attributions, mediating variables such as subordinate self‐efficacy, satisfaction, and motivation, and outcome variables such as leadership perceptions and subordinate performance. These variables are linked in a process model.Design/methodology/approachThe article depends on a critical review of the literature to build a theoretical model consistent with theory building guidelines.FindingsAccurate attributions and the avoidance of attributional biases are identified as key factors determining effectiveness and leadership perceptions. Leader interactive behaviors, feedback latency, and the development of strategies for improving performance are identified as key consequences of attributional accuracy.Practical implicationsThis article has implications for the ways in which managers are selected and trained to provide leadership in organizations.Orginality/valueThe theory developed here breaks new ground in the investigation of the positive and functional attributional processes of leaders leading to organizational or unit effectiveness. This research contributes to knowledge by pointing to the functional role of accurate attributions and the delineation of the processes through which such attributions can lead to enhancing subordinate motivation and hence leadership effectiveness.

Perceptions of clothes can be distinctive, varying across individuals, situations, cultures, and time. Evidence from daily life and from existing literature across disciplines, although disparate, all point to the importance of clothing in the workplace. With a systematic inductive approach, we identify three universal and distinctive clothing characteristics at work - formality, provocativeness, and fashionability - as well two other categories - uniforms and religiosity of clothing - which are tied to particular social groups. Drawing on attribution theory and the stereotype content model, we provide a cohesive conceptual framework in which clothing characteristics influence observers’ perceptions of wearer’s competence and warmth through observers’ dispositional attribution process. These perceptions, in turn, influence performance appraisals and supportiveness directed at wearers. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research and implications for employees and employers with regard to managing clothing practices and avoiding potential biases.

In an advertising experiment investigating message claim credibility, realistically the researcher probably is not dealing with naive respondents. Thus, the respondents’ past experiences with advertising become a part of the attributional process. A reply is made to “Comments on Attribution Theory and Advertiser Credibility.”

Emotional reactivity and force control: The influence of behavioral inhibition