Identifying Attribution in Academic Performance

Attribution Theory plays a significant role in understanding how people explain their own and others' behaviors. When a student fails a test, they might attribute their failure to a lack of intelligence, bad luck, or insufficient preparation. Understanding whether these attributions are internal (personal traits) or external (situational factors) can deeply influence their motivation and future actions.

Consider a situation where Sarah, a high-achieving student, receives a poor grade on a math exam. She believes that her failure was due to the difficult questions on the exam rather than her own abilities. In this scenario, which type of attribution is Sarah employing when she attributes her poor performance to the exam's difficulty?