Iranian Journal of Medical Education

Introduction: An effective factor in any individual’s efficacy in educational, occupational, and domestic areas, is having self-regulation skills. The aim of this study was to review the association between attribution styles and self-regulation among students of School of Nursing and Midwifery in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: This descriptive correlation study was performed on all female and male students of School of Nursing and Midwifery of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences during 2011-2012 academic years. Using Morgan’s table and single-stage cluster sampling, 200 samples were selected. Data was collected using Seligman’ and Sink’s attribution styles questionnaire as well as Miller’ and Brown’s general self-regulation questionnaire. Data was analzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression and analysis of variance tests.

Results: Among the three internal, stable, and generally attributional styles, only internal attribution style could predict performing and planning domains of self-regulation (p<0.01). None of attribution styles could predict investigating and evaluation domains of self-regulation (p>0/05). The results showed that there was a significant difference between male and female students considering three internal (F_(1,139)=0.41, p<0.01), stable (F_(1,139)=0.12, p<0.001), and generally (F_(1,139)=0.006, p<0.001) attributional styles.

Conclusion: One of the essential needs of medical community is to have responsible, committed, and self-regulated nurses and midwives having internal attribution style. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide educational environment in which nursing and midwifery students could be guided toward forming attribution styles to promote effective self-regulation.