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

Check out the following cartoon strips and practice identifying internal and external attributions:

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.

Optimist’s view of success

Subsequent behaviour: Persist in the task

Pessimist’s view of success

Subsequent behaviour: Give up

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