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ATTRIBUTION THEORY
Attribution – a decision about the basis of a person’s behaviorTheorists:
Fritz Heider (1958)
Bernard Weiner (1979)
Attribution Theory – General Principles
argues that people look for an explanation of behaviour which may use internal or external attributes
is a Social Theory which may be classified as a Cognitive Theory.
Attribution Theory – General Principles
explains how the average person constructs the meaning of an event based on
◦one’s motives to find a cause
◦one’s knowledge of the environment/situation
Attribution Theory explains
Bystander effect
Eyewitness studies
Hearst syndrome – victim assumes responsibility for what happens
Fundamental Attribution Error
When attributing others’ actions:
– internal disposition (e.g. personality traits, intelligence) takes precedence over external situation (e.g. task difficulty, accident, luck)
When attributing own behaviour:
− external situation takes precedence over internal disposition
Fritz Heider’s Attribution Theory:People usually attribute other’s behaviour
to:
◦ their internal disposition (Personal Attribution)
◦ external situation (Situational Attribution)
Three Step Process:
1. Perceive the action
2. Judge the intention
3. Attribute the disposition – internal or external
Weiner’s Attribution Theory
Three dimensions of Attribution
1. Locus of causality – internal or external?
2. Stability – is the cause a stable or unstable one (over time)?
3. Controllability/Responsibility – to what extent is future task performance under the person’s control?
Four Attributional Factors as described in Weiner’s original Attribution Model:
STABILITY DIMENSION
LOCUS OF CAUSALITY
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
STABLE ABILITY TASKDIFFICULTY
UNSTABLE EFFORT LUCK
Applying Weiner’s Attribution Theory to students’ attributions for failure in school:
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
STABLE(Ability)
UNSTABLE(Effort)
STABLE(Task Difficulty)
UNSTABLE(Luck)
CONTROLLABLE
It is not my area of interest.
I didn’t study well for this Exam.
The teacher hates me.
Little or no support from family & friends.
UNCONTROL-LABLE
I don’t have the skills nor ability.
I was sick. School has very high standards.
Bad luck!
Applying Weiner’s Attribution Theory:INTERNAL EXTERNAL
STABLE(Ability)
UNSTABLE(Effort)
STABLE(Task Difficulty)
UNSTABLE(Luck)
CONTROLLABLE
UNCONTROL-LABLE
OPTIMISTS will attribute success (positive event) as a product of internal and stable causes.
Failure (negative event) is seen as a product of external, unstable causes.
PESSIMISTS will do the opposite.
Applications of attribution theory
Interpersonal relationshipsMost commonly used in relation to marital success
e.g. Fincham & O’Leary, 1983
◦ happily married individuals tend to credit partners for positive behaviour by citing internal, stable, global & controllable factors to explain them
◦ Negative behaviour is explained away by ascribing to external, unstable, specific & uncontrollable causes
◦ Distressed couples do the opposite
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