Back in 1974, social psychologist Bernard Weiner published a model that became one of the most cited frameworks in sport psychology. Attribution theory describes how people explain why things go well or badly. Whether the cause is internal or external, stable or temporary, something you can control or something you can’t. The research that followed turned up a finding so consistent it got its own name: self-serving bias. In simple terms, we take credit when we win. And when we lose? The ref. The weather. The bounce of the ball. Anything but us. Coaches are not exempt. Sports science research found that the more devoted a coach is,…

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