Effects of attributions for success and failure on the performance of retarded adults.

Seventy-two TMR adults were given success and failure experiences at a coding task, as well as one of three causal attributions (ability, effort, or task difficulty [ease]). The data revealed that causal ascriptions interacted with outcome in influencing speed of performance and that success enhanced performance only when coupled with an ability ascription. The data suggested that some of the contradictions in the success-failure literature may be due to differential causal attributions elicited across the various investigations. The implications of these data for training programs also were discussed.