A Research on the Perception of Failure and the Causes of Failure in the Context of Attribution Theory
Abstract
The perception of failure reflects the individual’s beliefs about the reasons for failure. Understanding the perception of failure has the potential to provide a roadarmap for eliminating the causes of failure. The aim of the study is to understand university students’ perceptions of failure and explore the reasons they attribute to their failures. Thus, by identifying the factors thatlead to failure, it will be possible to prevent these factors from causing failure. Attribution Theory has guidedthe study in achieving its purpose of the study. In this study, which aims to test the arguments of Attribution Theory by examining university students’ perceptions of failure, qualitative research methods and a descriptive phenomenological were chosen to align with the study’s purpose. Purposive sampling was employed to select the study group, and a semi-structured interview method was utilized as the data collection tool. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a total of 33 students from the Management Information System program. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA. In the research, two themes were identified: the reasons attributed to failure (i) and the ways failure is perceived (ii). The theme of reasons attributed to failure was subdivided into two sub-themes, namely external and internal factors, in accordance with the argument of Attribution Theory. The theme of perceptions of failure can be regarded as a reflection of the factors attributed to failure. Therefore, the theme of perceptions of failure was named as the outcomes of external attribution and the outcomes of internal attribution. When failure is attributed to external factors, intense feelings of unhappiness and anger are experienced, whereas when failure is attributed to internal factors, feelings of regret and inadequacy come to the forefront.
Keywords
The Perception of Failure , Attribution Theory , Failure Attributions
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