ERIC Number: ED239161
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1983-Aug
Pages: 35
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Perusing Teacher Expectations: A Closer Look at Affect-Attribution Links.
Coleman, Lerita M.; Jussim, Lee J.
Recent research on teachers' expectations has begun to explore the factors underlying the link between expectations and performance. To investigate the relationship between the affective responses of teachers and students' attributions regarding effort versus ability, 130 college students (66 male, 64 female) were instructed in solving anagrams and subsequently solved three out of five anagrams. Upon completing the test, each subject received one of seven affective responses to his performance from the instructor: anger, pity, relief, positive surprise, negative surprise, pride, or no emotion. The subjects then completed an attribution questionnaire. An analysis of the results showed that emotional responses produced greater effort and ability attributions than did no emotion. Responses containing positive emotions or positive feedback led to significantly greater effort attributions than responses containing negative emotions or negative feedback. The element of surprise in emotion reduced perceptions of effort attributions and also resulted in greater attributions to ability. Future research should focus on the impact on affect-attribution links of self versus teacher perceptions, various cultural and ethnic group memberships, and situational and contextual factors. (Author/BL)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: Spencer Foundation, Chicago, IL.
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A