ATTRIBUTION THEORY: ATTRIBUTION THEORY: MAKING SENSE OF MAKING SENSE OF SUCCESSES AND SUCCESSES AND

FAILURESFAILURES

Damon BurtonDamon BurtonUniversity of IdahoUniversity of Idaho

WHAT IS AN WHAT IS AN ATTRIBUTION?ATTRIBUTION?

Attributions Attributions – – are reasons given to are reasons given to explain successes and failures.explain successes and failures. Weiner (1985)Weiner (1985) suggests that we suggests that we each act as naïve psychologists each act as naïve psychologists trying to understand the reasons for trying to understand the reasons for why a particular outcome occurs. why a particular outcome occurs. For exampleFor example, a girl may try to figure , a girl may try to figure out why she lost a tennis match or out why she lost a tennis match or did poorly on an exam. did poorly on an exam.

UNDERLYING UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONS

Understanding human behavior Understanding human behavior requires first understanding how we requires first understanding how we perceive the social environment. perceive the social environment. People seek a stable and People seek a stable and predictable environment in order to predictable environment in order to control their surroundings and control their surroundings and predict others’ behavior.predict others’ behavior.To understand behavior, people look To understand behavior, people look for dispositional qualities in others.for dispositional qualities in others.

ATTRIBUTIONAL ATTRIBUTIONAL PROPOSITIONSPROPOSITIONS

Outcomes generate positive or negative Outcomes generate positive or negative emotions and a search for the reasons emotions and a search for the reasons for the outcome.for the outcome.Attributions are organized into key Attributions are organized into key dimensions that influence psychological dimensions that influence psychological consequences such as expectancy consequences such as expectancy change or emotional feelings.change or emotional feelings.Attributional consequences impact Attributional consequences impact behaviors such as achievement behaviors such as achievement motivation.motivation.

WEINER’S (1972) WEINER’S (1972) ORIGINAL MODELORIGINAL MODEL

AbilityTask

DifficultyCoaching

LuckOfficiating

EffortStrategy

PreparationPerformance

Internal External

Stable

Unstable

WEINER’S (1986) REVISED WEINER’S (1986) REVISED MODELMODEL

CAUSAL ANTECEDENTS CAUSAL ANTECEDENTS OF ATTRIBUTIONSOF ATTRIBUTIONS

states versus traitsstates versus traits causal rulescausal rules “ “actor versus actor versus observer observer bias”bias” “ “hedonic bias”hedonic bias”

ASSESSING ASSESSING ATTRIBUTIONSATTRIBUTIONS

• A person’s perceptions of success and A person’s perceptions of success and failure are not the same as winning and failure are not the same as winning and losing. losing. Success is a subjective Success is a subjective concept. concept. • Most attributions have been Most attributions have been

categorized by researchers rather than categorized by researchers rather than participants. participants. •Weiner uses dimensions of Weiner uses dimensions of locus of locus of

causality, stabilitycausality, stability and and controllabilitycontrollability• GlobalityGlobality and and intentionality intentionality dimensions dimensions

have also been proposedhave also been proposed

ATTRIBUTION ATTRIBUTION INSTRUMENTSINSTRUMENTS

• Causal Dimension Scale – 2 (CDS-2) Causal Dimension Scale – 2 (CDS-2) –– measures attributions in specific measures attributions in specific situationssituations (state measure).(state measure). • Attributional styleAttributional style is is

predisposition to make particular predisposition to make particular attributions across different attributions across different situationssituations (trait measure)(trait measure)• Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS)Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS)•Wingate Sport Achievement Wingate Sport Achievement

Responsibility Scale (WSARS) Responsibility Scale (WSARS)

SELF-SERVING BIASSELF-SERVING BIAS ““Self-serving bias” (SSB)Self-serving bias” (SSB) states that states that

attributions are used to enhance and attributions are used to enhance and protect self-esteem.protect self-esteem.

According to the SSB, According to the SSB, people tend to people tend to take credit for success but not the take credit for success but not the blame for failure.blame for failure.

People perceive themselves as more People perceive themselves as more responsible for successful or positive responsible for successful or positive than negative outcomes.than negative outcomes.

Reasons for failure are externalized Reasons for failure are externalized (i.e., blamed on outside factors) (i.e., blamed on outside factors)

ACTOR-OBSERVER BIASACTOR-OBSERVER BIAS ““Actor-observer bias”Actor-observer bias” –actors and –actors and

observers view the same situation observers view the same situation differently, thus making different differently, thus making different attributionsattributions

ActorsActors use use situation-basedsituation-based attributions to explain their behavior.attributions to explain their behavior.

ObserversObservers base attributions on base attributions on traits traits of the actor.of the actor.

Actors know their behavioral history, Actors know their behavioral history, whereas observers have only the one whereas observers have only the one situation to base their evaluation on.situation to base their evaluation on.

SPONTANEOUS SPONTANEOUS ATTRIBUTIONSATTRIBUTIONS

Do athletes normally engage in Do athletes normally engage in causal thought (i.e., attributions) causal thought (i.e., attributions) following competition?following competition?

Attributions are made naturally, Attributions are made naturally, but they are more likely when (a) but they are more likely when (a) a goal is not attained or (b) the a goal is not attained or (b) the outcome was unexpected. outcome was unexpected.

For example, the Patriots probably For example, the Patriots probably have been making attributions for have been making attributions for their unexpected Superbowl loss.their unexpected Superbowl loss.

ATTRIBUTIONAL ATTRIBUTIONAL CONSEQUENCESCONSEQUENCES

future expectanciesfuture expectancies emotional reactionsemotional reactions learned helplessnesslearned helplessness

FUTURE EXPECTANCIES FUTURE EXPECTANCIES Attributional stability is the most important factor determining future expectancies.Outcomes ascribed to stable causes increase future expectancy.Outcomes ascribed to unstable causes reduce future expectancyOutcomes ascribed to stable causes will be repeated more frequently than those ascribed to unstable causes

EMOTIONAL REACTIONSEMOTIONAL REACTIONS““Outcome-dependent” emotionsOutcome-dependent” emotions are emotional responses to the are emotional responses to the outcome itself, whereas outcome itself, whereas “attribution-dependent” emotions“attribution-dependent” emotions relate to the causes or reasons relate to the causes or reasons identified for the outcome. identified for the outcome. ““Self-esteem emotions”Self-esteem emotions” such as such as pridepride are associated with are associated with internal internal causality.causality.““Expectancy emotions”Expectancy emotions” such as such as hopehope are related to are related to stability.stability.““Social emotions”Social emotions” such as such as pity or pity or guiltguilt are related to are related to controllability.controllability.

TheTheEndEnd