Valence of success and failure in relation to task difficulty: Past research and recent progress

Studies of the relationship of attractiveness of success and repulsiveness of failure to task difficulty are reviewed and theoretical attempts to represent these relationships are noted. Research following from a theory of achievement motivation is given special attention. It is argued that degree of personal responsibility for outcome is an important variable to consider. Some problems for future research are briefly noted. These involve investigation of: (1) Ways of varying degree of perceived responsibility; (2) Effects of personality variables; (3) Degree of perceived responsibility in relation to the theory of achievement motivation; (4) Asymmetries in the attribution process; (5) Determinants of degree of perceived responsibility; (6) Effects of different types of external control on subjective probability of success. 1968 Australian Psychological Society