A General Model of the Attribution Process

Abstract

A general model of attribution is proposed. It is suggested that the attribution process begins with the attention of the perceiver, which is influenced by cognitive, motivational, and stimulus factors. Once attention is directed, a taxonomy of variables determines the attribution, depending on how much information the perceiver has about the actor. For a stranger, where the least information is available, the attribution depends on whether a person schema or normative script is salient, and whether or not the behavior is expected. For the self, where the most information is available, the direction of the attribution depends on set valence (beliefs about the self in this situation) and whether the behavior is positive or negative. Integration of the model with previous research in areas such as the fundamental attribution error, expectancy violation, the selfserving bias, and the actor-observer bias also is discussed.Requests for reprints should be sent to

Morality and competence in person- and self-perception

“…In line with these speculations, the actor -observer difference in attribution disappears in the perception of close others-a fact that is well known but not well understood (cf. Green, Lightfoot, Bandy, & Buchanan, 1985). The present theorising leads to further hypotheses that the same should also be true for persons with whom perceivers identify themselves or who are vicarious agents.…”

Using social norms to reduce men's rape proclivity: Perceived rape myth acceptance of out-groups may be more influential than that of in-groups

“…The theoretical frameworks we pitted against each other in the present research, self-categorization theory (Terry and Hogg, 1996;Terry et al, 1999), a striving for positive intergroup distinctiveness (Jetten & Spears, 2003), and the expectancy-violation approach (Green et al, 1985), may provide insights that allow for a refinement of predictions about normative influences on sexually aggressive behavior. To start with the expectancy-violation account: Whereas norm salience may be a sufficient condition for normative influences on behavior to occur, the relative strength of normative influence may additionally depend on the degree to which salient norms violate perceivers' expectancies about the reference group.…”

“…The basis for this assumption comes from work on the attribution process. According to Green, Lightfoot, Bandy, and Buchanan (1985), for example, a target's behaviors that confirm a salient group-schema are likely to elicit internal attributions, whereas behaviors that violate expectancies derived from a salient group-schema are likely to elicit external attributions. Normative influence should be stronger in the latter case: If the perceiver cannot explain the behavior with expected characteristics of the actors, then the behavior is likely to be perceived as reflecting external reality (see also Kelley, 1973) and hence as being relevant for the perceiver.…”

Interactive Effects of Exercise Status and Observer Gender on the Impressions Formed of Men

“…Thus, they do not account for the possibility that the positive effects are simply due to the total amount of extracurricular activity engaged in by the exercisers. The observer bias literature (e.g., Green, Lightfoot, Bandy, & Buchanan, 1985;Jones, 1976) suggests that when observers have less relevant information, they tend to rely on personal stereotypes when making judgments. This results in an increased focus on dispositional factors rather than consideration of the situation as a determinant of the target's presentation or behavior.…”