A Gift or a Curse: Applying Weiner’s Attribution Theory to Understand the Achievement Motivation of Gifted Children

Abstract

Gifted children do not always perform up to their real potential at school. This paper offers a critical literature review of the work published in the area of achievement motivation amongst gifted children. It starts by defining giftedness and discussing the potential challenges that gifted children face in the classroom and at school. Weiner’s Attribution Theory is then deployed as a lens to frame the discussion of achievement motivation. Evidence from various research studies portraying the attributional inferences of success and failure among the gifted is presented. Finally, the paper proposes some of the lessons that the theory under discussion could teach teachers, systems and parents.