Attribution theory
Attribution theory- Attribution theory explains how people make sense of their experiences and events. By understanding how people attribute causes to behaviours, we can better understand how they perceive others and act ourselves. This section will explain the differences between internal and external attribution and Fritz Heider’s contribution to attribution theory.
What is an attribution
Attribution: the process of attaching meaning to our behaviour, or the behaviour of other, by looking for causes to explain the behaviour.
Types of attributions:
- Situational attribution: assigning the cause of behaviour to environmental factors external to the person, for example, social situations and social pressure. Situational factors include the physical or social environment, the influence of culture, or the actions of others that may cause a person to act a certain way. Under these circumstances, a person may not be considered totally responsible for their behaviour.
- Dispositional attribution: assigning the cause of behaviour to internal factors within the person, for example, personality characteristics, ability, and motivation. When we explain the behaviour of others, we look for enduring internal attributions, such as personality traits. This is known as the fundamental attribution error. This means that the person is held responsible for their actions.
Social identity theory – Tajfel and Turner (1979)
This theory is all about becoming part of different groups, and how membership to these groups helps construct our identities. They suggested that people have an inbuilt tendency to categorise themselves into one or more in-groups, building a part of their identity on the basis of membership of that group and enforcing boundaries with other groups
The three elements of the social identity theory
- Categorisation
We categorise objects in order to understand them and identify them. This looks at the way in which people put others (and ourselves) into categories. We label one another based on interest, ethnicity, gender, occupation and other factors. Calling someone a Muslim, footballer, student, emo, mother, for example, are ways in which we do this. IMPORTANT – this is not always negative and is different to stereotyping. - Identification
People adopt the identity of the group we have categorised ourselves as belonging to. Once a social identity has been identified, people will choose to associate with certain groups. Your collective identity becomes your in-group. This could be you family, a friendship group – even your class. This closeness functions to boost our self esteem and to create a sense of belonging. A group or individual that poses as a threat to your in- group is called the out-group. Examples of this would be an outside family member, a new member to class, someone from a different ethnic background, or more close to home, somebody from the other side of the social area! - Comparison
People compare themselves and their groups with other groups, seeing a favourable bias towards the group in which they belong. Nowadays we see younger people dividing themselves into social groups or subcultures based on clothing, the music they listen to or other interests. Examples of this are emos, goths and hoodies. If self esteem is to be maintained our group needs to compare favourably with other groups
