When efficacy beliefs affect team attributions: relationships between self- and collective efficacy beliefs and team attributions over time

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the extent to which efficacy beliefs and perceptions of team performance influenced team causal attributions overtime. METHODS: A total of 258 undergraduate students were assigned to a three or four person team and played three games against three different opponents in a semi-round robin team bowling tournament. RESULTS: Multilevel modelling analyses revealed that individuals' perceptions in team performance were positively associated with internal, stable, and team controllable attributions. Collective efficacy beliefs positively predicted team attributions overtime; whereas, self-efficacy beliefs were a negative predictor of team attributions across the tournament. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that individuals' perceptions of their team's success/failure were the stronger determinant of team attributions than their team's winning/losing and, as well as, the efficacy beliefs team attributions relationships were moderated by time.