Theory Of Attribution PDF

THEORY OF ATTRIBUTION - Ahmad Abdullah  ATTRIBUTION Understanding the causes of behavior or assigning reasons to the behavior. Attribution refers to our efforts to understand the causes behind our own behavior and behavior of others. Fritz Heider's pioneering work...

THEORY OF ATTRIBUTION - Ahmad Abdullah  ATTRIBUTION Understanding the causes of behavior or assigning reasons to the behavior. Attribution refers to our efforts to understand the causes behind our own behavior and behavior of others. Fritz Heider's pioneering work laid the foundation for understanding how people attribute behavior to internal or external factors.  Father of Attribution: Fritz Heider There were two main ideas that he put forward that became influential in the study of attribution: 1. Dispositional (internal cause): Attributing behavior to a person's internal characteristics or traits. traits, motives, intentions, beliefs, values that lie within the person. 2. Situational (external cause): Attributing behavior to external factors or the situation. physical surroundings, social aspects, temperature, arousal, etc.  Biases/errors in attribution When we assign reason to the behavior of other people, so many biases/error occur. ✓Correspondence bias ✓Actor-observer effect ✓Self-serving bias ✓Saliency bias ✓Halo or horn effect Correspondence Bias Also know as ‘Fundamental Attribution Error’ or ‘Attribution Effect’ The tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior. Actions of others stemming from dispositional causes (internal), even in the presence of clear situational causes. Ex- You came late because you are indiscipline Edward E. Jones and Keith Davis introduced this concept. Actor-Observer Bias The tendency to attribute our own behavior to situational factors and others' behavior to dispositional factors. Ex- Observer Perspective: Seeing someone arrive late to an event, you might assume, "They're just irresponsible and don't value punctuality." Actor Perspective: If you're running late due to unexpected traffic, you might say, "I couldn't help it; the traffic was unexpectedly bad." Jones and Nisbett (1971) Self-serving Bias The tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal factors (traits, personality, intelligence) and negative outcomes to external factors (chance, task difficulty) Ex- 1. Positive Outcome in a Test: 1. Self-Serving Bias: "I did well on the test because I studied hard and am naturally smart." 2. Alternative Explanation: "The test was easier this time, and luck was on my side." 2. Negative Outcome in a Group Project: 1. Self-Serving Bias: "The group project didn't go well because my teammates didn't contribute enough." 2. Alternative Explanation: "The project was complex, and we all faced challenges in coordinating our efforts." Shelley Taylor's research reveals its role in maintaining self-esteem. Saliency Bias Saliency – most noticeable thing/prominent Saliency bias is a cognitive bias where individuals focus on the most noticeable or prominent information while overlooking less noticeable or subtle aspects. Ex- At shopping mall (you tent to attract most striking product) Someone who was most intelligent in the group is given credit of project success Halo/Horn Effect Overgeneralize a single trait of a person to other aspects of that person. One trait, either good (halo) or bad (horn), overshadows other traits, behaviors, actions, or beliefs Ex- Topper student Halo Backbencher Horn THEORIES OF ATTRIBUTION Correspondent theory Causal theory Achievement theory Correspondent theory Jones and Davis (1965) Behavior and Traits: Explains how we infer someone's inner (dispositional) traits from their actions. Unique Outcomes: Focuses on behaviors with specific, noncommon effects. Choice and Unexpectedness: Traits are attributed when behavior is freely chosen and unexpected. Personality Inferences: Used in understanding how we judge others' traits based on their actions. We are likely to reach correspondent inferences about other people when their behavior is: 1. freely chosen (without any compulsion) 2. yields distinctive, non-common effects 3. low in social desirability Causal theory/Co-variation atrribution Harold Kelly (1972) Analysis of variance model or Co-variation attribution theory Covariation Principle: Harold Kelley's theory focuses on how people attribute behavior by analyzing patterns of covariation between the behavior, person, and situation. Consistency, Distinctiveness, Consensus: Three key covariation cues used to attribute behavior—consistent behavior over time, distinctiveness in different situations, and consensus among others. Internal and External Attribution: Individuals attribute behavior to internal traits if consistency is high and distinctiveness and consensus are low; external attribution occurs when the opposite is true with high consistency. Predictive Power: Kelley's theory provides a systematic framework for understanding attribution processes and predicting how people attribute behavior based on covariation cues. Achievement theory Bernard Weiner (1985) Weiner's Focus: Bernard Weiner's theory explores how individuals attribute success and failure in achievement contexts. Three Dimensions: Weiner introduced three dimensions of attribution: locus of control (internal vs. external), stability (stable vs. unstable), and controllability (controllable vs. uncontrollable). Impact on Emotions and Motivation: Attribution dimensions influence emotions and motivation. Internal, stable, and controllable attributions often lead to positive emotions and higher motivation. Q/A 1.Attribution means: A) assigning causes to our own behavior B) assigning causes to others’ behavior C) assigning causes to our own and others’ behavior D) deciding how to react in a situation 2.Attributing positive things to one’s own characteristics and negative things to outer factors is an example of: A) Actor-observer bias B) Self-serving bias C) Correspondence bias D) Halo effect Q/A 3.The Fundamental Attribution Error refers to: a) Overestimating the role of situational factors in others' behavior. b) Overestimating the role of internal factors in others' behavior. c) Underestimating the impact of external factors on one's behavior. d) Underestimating the impact of internal factors on one's behavior. 4.The actor-observer bias involves: A)Attributing one's own behavior to internal factors and others' behavior to external factors. b) Attributing one's own behavior to external factors and others' behavior to internal factors. c) Attributing all behavior to situational factors. d) Ignoring both internal and external factors in attributions. Q/A 5.Which attribution theory focuses on how individuals attribute success or failure in achievement- related situations? a) Correspondent Inference Theory b) Achievement Attribution Theory c) Causal Attribution Theory d) Self-Serving Bias 6.According to Kelley's Covariation Theory, which of the following cues are used to attribute behavior? a) Certainty, Familiarity, Similarity b) Consistency, Distinctiveness, Consensus c) Positive, Neutral, Negative d) Internal, External, Intrinsic Q/A 7. Weiner's Achievement Theory of Attribution introduces three dimensions of attribution. Which of the following is NOT one of those dimensions? a) Locus of control b) Stability c) Consensus d) Controllability 8. The Correspondent Inference Theory addresses: a) How people infer dispositional traits from behaviors. b) How people attribute success and failure to achievement situations. c) How people attribute causes to events they observe. d) How people focus on salient information in decision-making. THANKYOU