Perspectives Such as Behaviourism and Social Cognitive Theory Show Us

question 54

Essay

Perspectives such as behaviourism and social cognitive theory show us how the consequence (reinforcement or punishment) of a particular behaviour affects the extent to which the behaviour is likely to appear again.Attribution theory has cast a new light on this notion, maintaining that the consequences of behaviour will affect each person's learning and future behaviour 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); and,
c.describe three specific strategies you might use to foster more productive attributions in your students (use attribution theory to explain why you think the strategy will be effective).

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Definitions:

Marginal Costs

The additional cost incurred by producing one more unit of a good or service.

Declining

A term indicating a decrease or reduction in quantity, quality, or importance over time.

Cost Function

A mathematical relationship describing how the cost of production changes with changes in the quantity of output produced.

Competitive Market

A market structure characterized by many buyers and sellers, none of whom can influence market price significantly on their own.