Abstract:
The research project of Causal Attribution of Academic Success-Failure in Latin America is
oriented towards the study of interpersonal explanation about academic performance and the
collective opinion regarding school performance in endo and exogroups. The theoretical
background is based upon Weiner and Mc Clelland’s formulations. Groups of Argentinean
and Brazilian secondary students classified as “successful” and “not successful” by their
mathematics and social science grades teachers, were analysed. Multidimensional analyses of
numerical and symbolic data revealed several different relationships between active
(nationality, sex, schools, etc.) and illustrative (dimensional meaning of attributional causes
and motivational orientation) variables. The theoretical and practical implications of the
results are discussed in terms of socio-educational values in the Argentinean and Brazilian
cultures.
