Examining the Effects of an Attribution Retraining Intervention on the Attributions and Engagement of Alternative School Students

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase effortful attributions in high school students enrolled in an alternative high school at risk for failure to graduate. Pre-test and post-test self-report surveys on student attributions and engagement were collected and analyzed prior to and after the administration of an attribution retraining intervention for a treatment and control group. An additional 5-question survey on educational background was collected to better describe and understand the educational experience of the sample of students. The attribution and engagement surveys suggested that there were no significant effects of the attribution retraining intervention on student attributions or engagement. A significant relationship existed between perceived family support for learning, and students' history of consistent attendance in school. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.