What does this research mean for the field?

Causal attribution instructions significantly influence task performance increments during success trials, with individuals who attribute success to luck demonstrating lower performance increments. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to understand how causal attribution affects performance outcomes in elementary school pupils.

March 18, 2026Open Access

Causal Attribution Control, Level of Need Achievement and Task Outcome

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: RCT. Population: Task performance based on causal attribution and need achievement (n=476). Intervention: Causal attribution control instructions vs. Between-group comparisons of the four attribution conditions. Primary outcome: Mean increments in performance speed (number of correct answers in one minute) over three trials (p=<0.05).

Key Result

Causal attribution instructions significantly influenced task performance increments during success trials, with subjects attributing success to luck showing lower performance increments.

Key Points

This research aims to understand how causal attribution affects performance outcomes in elementary school pupils.
Conducted digit-symbol substitution task trials with fifth and sixth graders
Administered four types of instructional feedback regarding outcome causes
Examined effects based on levels of need achievement and causal attribution dimensions
Causal attribution significantly influenced performance in both success and failure scenarios
Pupils with high need achievement performed differently compared to those with low need achievement
Dimensions of causal attribution, including locus of control and stability, affected task outcomes

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=476)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Population

476 public elementary school pupils (fifth and sixth year), 258 males and 218 females

Intervention

Causal attribution control instructions (ability, effort, task difficulty, luck)

Comparator

Different causal attribution instructions

Outcome

Increase in performance speed over trials on a digit-symbol substitution task

Causal attribution instructions and level of need achievement influence performance speed on tasks following success or failure in elementary school pupils.

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.05

Limitations

The overall effects of causal attribution control were not entirely clear across all conditions.
The study did not account for the subjects' baseline ability levels, which might determine the perception of success and failure.

Abstract

The elementary school pupils (fifth and sixth year) were given three trials of digit-symbol substitution task.After each trials, Ss were received the outcome feedback.Before the trials, four kinds of instruction which tried to make Ss believe what the cause of outcome (either of ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck) was, were administered.At first the effects of causal attribution control on performance in success and failure situations were examined.Secondly, the effects of level of need achievement (high versus low) and causal attribution control (dimensional level: locus of control and stability) on performance in success and failure situations were examined.

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Discussion

Authors

Yoshiharu Tachibana

Journals

PSYCHOLOGIA

Actions

Institutions

Kyoto University

References and Citations

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Discussion

Cite this study

Yoshiharu Tachibana (Sun,) conducted a rct in Task performance based on causal attribution and need achievement (n=476). Causal attribution control instructions vs. Between-group comparisons of the four attribution conditions was evaluated on Mean increments in performance speed (number of correct answers in one minute) over three trials (p=<0.05). Causal attribution instructions significantly influenced task performance increments during success trials, with subjects attributing success to luck showing lower performance increments.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69ba41e04e9516ffd37a1cbf — DOI: https://doi.org/10.2117/psysoc.1978.39

Causal Attribution Control, Level of Need Achievement and Task Outcome

Key Result

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Abstract

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

Authors

Journals

Actions

Institutions

References and Citations

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

Cite this study