Attributions and Information Processing

Abstract

Attribution theory has been called “the dominant theoretical perspective” in social psychology (Aron & Aron, 1986). For more than a quarter of a decade now, the study of how people go about explaining the causes of their own and other people’s behavior has been a cornerstone of social psychology research. Work on attributions began as an extension of research on person perception, but the applications of some of the findings soon became apparent to psychologists working in other areas. Consequently, understanding the attributions people make for themselves and the behavior of others has proven quite useful in understanding such diverse topics as depression, educational achievement, and relationships.