Socializing Attribution: Generalization to “Real” Social Environments¹

Abstract

Social status variables have been shown to influence attributional judgments, but their effects have been demonstrated almost entirely in experimental settings. The influence of such statuses in experimental settings may differ from their influence in natural settings. We examined the influence on attributional judgments of the status characteristics of both subjects and actors in conjunction with variations in the degree of “real world” characteristics of both subjects and social context. These comparisons were drawn through a partial replication of earlier research investigating the effects of a social status variable, victim sex, and a situational variable—type of assault—on attributions about an assault victim. The social status characteristic, victim sex, had less influence on attributions in an adult juror sample than in a student sample and testimony‐related characteristics were more influential in the adult juror sample than in the student sample. Thus, the categories of variables that influence attributions appear to depend on the context of judgment and on the breadth of subjects' life experience. These findings are discussed and we conclude with the caution that careful identification of the differences produced by context and subject characteristics is necessary to support generalization of laboratory‐based research.

An Attributional Analysis of Jurors' Judgments in a Criminal Case: A Preliminary Investigation

“…This included such statements as childhood experiences, history of crime, social environment, lack of concern for others, emphasis on power/money, personality, and 6) Attribution measure -A series of attribution questions was generated which addressed a broad range of internal and external causes of crime. Several questions were adopted from previous research studies in which these legal attitudes were found to be predictive of predeliberation verdict preferences (Carroll, Perkowitz, Lurigio, & Weaver, 1987;Howard & Leber, 1988). More specifically, two general areas are presented: social/economic and personal.…”