An attributional analysis of student help-seeking in academic settings.

Examined the students' decisions to seek help as a function of prior level of performance, attribution for prior performance, and availability of information about the potential usefulness of help sessions. The actual attendance rate of 198 undergraduates at help sessions prior to a major exam was assessed. Attitudinal and behavioral data confirmed the hypothesis that those most likely to seek academic help were those who had performed poorly in the past, attributed their poor performance to factors that could be remediated by help sessions, and received information about the potential usefulness of the sessions. Ability, effort, and a variety of external attributions appeared to play a significant role in determining help-seeking behavior. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)