Recall the three primary elements of the attribution process. Describe how attributions may be positive or negative depending upon the three elements

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1. Personality and self: Our innate personality and our self-concept and self-esteem affect how we view the world and other people. People with a healthy self-esteem tend to have a more positive perception of others and of the world, whereas those with low self-esteem tend to have negative perceptions. The same is true with our personalities.
2. Social influences: Our gender/sex roles and occupational roles are somewhat dictated by societal expectations. The media influences our expectations of how people should behave in certain occupations, as do our own observations. Gender roles are particularly socially learned behaviors; we expect males to behave and look a certain way (masculine = assertive, self-reliant, and independent) and females to behave and look a certain way (feminine = shy, affectionate, and sympathetic).
3. Cultural Influences: Every culture maintains a collection of norms, customs, rituals and language. These affect our perceptions of our own communication, but also the communication of other cultures. The U.S. is an individualistic culture, one which values competition, self-sufficiency, and the immediate family. Japan is a collectivistic culture, which values groups and extended families. When we face cultures different than our own, we tend to perceive them negatively.