Children's self-efficacy, motivational intentions, and attributions in physical education and sport

The purpose of this study was to examine how differences in children's self -efficacy, age, and gender impact motivational intentions, future self-effi cacy, and attributions following perceptions of failure. Children, ages 8-1 4 years (N = 289), were assigned to either high or low self-efficacy groups , and measures of intended effort, persistence, choice, future self-efficac y, and attributions for failure were collected following a failure scenario . Results indicated that children with higher self-efficacy chose to partic ipate and had higher future self-efficacy scores than those with lower self -efficacy. Higher efficacy children attributed failure to lack of effort, w hereas, those with lower efficacy attributed failure to lack of ability. Ag e-related differences were also found with choice to participate, effort, a nd future self-efficacy.