attribution theory
Explaining behavior's causes
Attribution theory is a framework in social psychology explaining how people interpret the causes of behavior and events.
We attribute actions either to internal factors (personality, ability, effort) or external factors (circumstances, luck, other people).
Attribution theory helps explain why we judge others' failures as character flaws while excusing our own as situational.
Conclusion reached through reasoning
- heuristicsPractical problem-solving shortcuts
- cognitive biasSystematic deviation from rationality
- schemaOrganized representational structure
- construalAct of interpreting meaning
interpretation · judgment · perception · assumption · cognitive dissonance · confirmation bias · expectancy · mindreading
Production of effects
- dispositionalRelating to inherent character
- situationalDependent on circumstances
- locus of controlPerceived source of outcomes
- controllabilityCapacity for external regulation
consensus · distinctiveness · consistency · intentionality · folk psychology · sensemaking · why questions
Crediting yourself for wins, others for losses
- negativity biasTendency to weight bad heavier
- personalismEmphasis on subjective experience
- spotlight effectOverestimating others' notice of you
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
Trauma-induced belief in powerlessness
- self-efficacyBelief in one's capabilities
- expectancyLikelihood of occurrence
- persistenceContinuing despite difficulty
- effortApplied energy toward goals
ability · luck · hope · resilience · self-regulation · feedback · success · failure
inference
Conclusion reached through reasoning
- heuristicsPractical problem-solving shortcuts
- cognitive biasSystematic deviation from rationality
- schemaOrganized representational structure
construal · interpretation · judgment · perception · assumption · cognitive dissonance · confirmation bias · expectancy · mindreading · perspective-taking
causation
Production of effects
- dispositionalRelating to inherent character
- situationalDependent on circumstances
- locus of controlPerceived source of outcomes
controllability · consensus · distinctiveness · consistency · intentionality · folk psychology · sensemaking · why questions
self-serving bias
Crediting yourself for wins, others for losses
- negativity biasTendency to weight bad heavier
- personalismEmphasis on subjective experience
- spotlight effectOverestimating others' notice of you
learned helplessness
Trauma-induced belief in powerlessness
- self-efficacyBelief in one's capabilities
- expectancyLikelihood of occurrence
- persistenceContinuing despite difficulty
effort · ability · luck · hope · resilience · self-regulation · feedback · success · failure
- psychologypsychology, psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, clinical psychology
- learninglearning, learn, classes, instruction, studying
- motivationmotivation, drive, motivate, inspire, encouragement
- attributionattributed to, cited, according to, per, via
- cognitive sciencecognitive psychology, cognitive science, cognitive development, cognitive load, cognitive maps
- expectation effectsteacher expectations, parental expectations
attribution theorybehaviorism
Psychology studying observable conduct
behavioral psychology · operant conditioning · classical conditioning · behavior modification · ethology
attribution theoryevolutionary psychology
Study of adapted minds
theory, attribution, attributive, attributions, misattribution, reattribute, reattributed