TY - JOUR PY - 1990// TI - Performance deficits following failure: Integrating motivational and functional aspects of learned helplessness JO - Anxiety research A1 - Stiensmeier-pelster, Joachim A1 - Schürmann, Martin SP - 211 EP - 222 VL - 2 IS - 3 N2 - Abstract This paper deals with the psychological processes that mediate between repeated, uncontrollable failure on one task and performance deficits on subsequent tasks. A model is presented that integrates Seligman's (1975) motivational and Kuhl's (1981) functional interpretation of performance deficits following failure. The central assumptions of this model were tested in a laboratory study with college students. In accordance with our model, repeated failure (1) increasingly led to task- and solution-irrelevant cognitive activities (state orientation, according to Kuhl) the more it was attributed to internal, stable, and global causes, and (2) led to an increment in effort the more it was attributed to unstable and specific causes. Furthermore, results indicated that the influence of failure on state orientation was partly mediated by the importance subjects attached to the failure, and that the performance on subsequent tasks was influenced by both the motivational (effort) and functional (state orientation) consequences of failure.

LA - SN - 0891-7779 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08917779008249337 ID - ref1 ER -