3. “The causes of
events always
interest us more
Cicero than the events
themselves”
4. “Happy is he who
has been able to
perceive the
causes of things”
Virgil
5. Why do we make attributions?
Sense of cognitive control.
To predict the future.
To respond appropriately.
6. Attribution Theory
• “…deals with how the social
perceiver uses information
to arrive at causal
explanations for events”
7. Attribution
• attribution theory: a group of theories that
describe how people explain the causes of
behavior
– Why do people behave the way that they do?
– What are they likely to do in the future?
8. Theories of attribution
Heider(1958): ‘Naïve Scientist’
Jones & Davis (1965): Correspondent
Inference Theory
Kelley (1967, 1973): Covariation Theory
Weiner (1979, 1985): Internal / External
+ Stable / Unstable
9. Attribution theory
• Heider hypothesised
that:
• People are naïve
scientists who attempt to
use rational processes to
explain events.
10. Attribution theory
People perceive behaviour as
being caused.
People give causal attributions
(even to inanimate objects!).
Both disposition & situation can
cause behaviour.
11. The Attribution Process
Antecedents-- •Information
factors internal •Beliefs
to the perceiver •Motivation
•Perceived external
Attributions made by the perceiver or internal causes
of behavior
•Behavior
Consequences for the perceiver •Feelings
•Expectations
12. Attribution theory
• Causes of behaviour are seen as
inside (internal) or
outside (external) a person.
Internal External
situational
personal
attributions Causes attributions
13.
14. Attribution theory
• We generally assume that people
choose to behave the way they
do,
• i.e., there is a tendency to make
internal attributions.
17. External attribution
• ‘Steve just told Bob that he is
having an affair w/ Bob’s wife.’
• ‘Steve paid Bob $100 to give him
a black eye.’
• ‘Bob tripped on a cord and
accidentally hit Steve when he
lost his balance.’
18. Atribusi internal atau eksternal?
1.Komar datang terlambat ke kampus untuk
mengikuti kuliah.
2.Cindy terlambat mengumpulkan tugas.
3.Seorang pengemudi motor memotong Anda
di jalan raya.
4.Bagas adalah mahasiswa yang rajin dan
pandai, namun kemarin dia ketahuan
mencontek waktu ujian.
19. Weiners model of attribution
Weiner’s theory attempts to categorise all
attributions under common categories.
He placed these categories across two
dimensions and added a third after further
research. The two we need to learn today are:
1. Locus of causality: internal or external
factors.
What is the cause?
2. Locus of stability: stable or unstable factors.
How stable is it?
20. Causal attributions
• List the causal attributions you think people
may give for their level of success or failure.
• ability
• effort
• task difficulty
• luck.
21. Weiner’s attribution model
LOCUS OF CAUSALITY DIMENSION
Internal External
attribution attribution
S D Stable
T I attribution
ABILITY TASK DIFFICULTY
A M
B E
I N
L S
I I Unstable EFFORT LUCK
T O attribution
Y N
22. Weiner’s attribution model: reasons
why I won my tennis match!
LOCUS OF CAUSALITY DIMENSION
Internal External
attribution attribution
S D Stable
T I attribution
I played better than She is younger than
A M her today me and
B E inexperienced
I N
L S
I I Unstable
T O attribution I trained really hard I was lucky at match
Y N up to the game point; the umpire
gave me a line call.
23. ATTRIBUTIONAL MODEL OF FAILURE
INTERNAL ATTRIBUTION (Person Responsible?)
• LACK OF EFFORT
• LACK OF ABILITY
EXTERNAL ATTRIBUTION (Environment/situation Responsible?)
• DIFFICULT TASK
• BAD LUCK
WHAT IS THE SUPERVISOR’S RESPONSE?
NO ABILITY Training or Transfer
NO EFFORT Reprimand or Motivational Strategy
HARD TASK Job Redesign
BAD LUCK Sympathy and Support
24. ATTRIBUTION THEORY
KELLEY (73)
IS THE CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR SEEN AS INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL? WE
LOOK FOR THREE TYPES OF INFORMATION TO DECIDE:
DISTINCTIVENESS
IS THIS PERSON’S PERFORMANCE DIFFERENT ON OTHER TASKS AND
IN OTHER SITUATIONS?
CONSISTENCY
OVER TIME, IS THERE A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR OR RESULTS ON THIS
TASK BY THIS PERSON?
CONSENSUS
DO OTHERS PERFORM OR BEHAVE SIMILARLY WHEN IN A SIMILAR POSITION?
25. Theory of Causal Attributions
Consistency
Does person usually
behave this way in
this situation?
Distinctiveness
External Attribution Does person behave Internal Attribution
High Low
(to person’s situation) differently in different (to person’s disposition)
situations?
Consensus
Do others behave
similarly in this
situation?
26. ATTRIBUTION ERRORS
• THE FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR
– THE CAUSE OF POOR PERFORMANCE (BY OTHERS) IS DUE TO
PERSONAL FACTORS (LAZY…DIDN’T TRY VERY HARD)
• SELF-SERVING BIAS
– THE CAUSE OF POOR PERFORMANCE (BY MYSELF) IS DUE TO
SITUATIONAL FACTORS (POOR SUPPORT), NOT BECAUSE OF A
LACK OF EFFORT
27. Common Perceptual Errors
• Perceptual defense: the tendency for people to protect
themselves against ideas, objects, or situations that are
threatening
• Stereotyping: the tendency to assign attributes to someone
solely on the basis of the category of people, of which that
person is a member
• Halo effect: the process by which the perceiver evaluates
another person solely on the basis of one attribute, either
favorable or unfavorable
• Projection: the tendency for people to see their own traits in
others
• Expectancy effects: extent to which expectations bias how
events, objects, and people are actually perceived
– Self-fulfilling prophecy: expecting certain things to happen will
shape the behavior of the perceiver in such a way that the expected
is more likely to happen
28. Atribusi internal atau eksternal?
Mari kita diskusikan lagi beberapa
contoh kasus berikut ini:
