Describe how attribution theory affects how we think about ourselves and others, and include an explanation of internal and external causes, the fundamental attribution error, and the actor-observer bias

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer will include that attribution is the process of making inferences about the causes of one's own behavior and the behavior of others. One can attribute external or internal causes to behavior. An external cause infers that the behavior results from the situation, while internal causes would include the person's personality traits, needs, and motives. Since we seldom know the real reasons for others' actions, we tend to infer causes from circumstances. However, in doing so, we often make mistakes. The most common error is to attribute the actions of others to internal causes. This mistake is called the fundamental attribution error. We tend to think the actions of others have internal causes even if they are actually caused by external forces or circumstances. Where our own behavior is concerned, we are more likely to think that external causes explain our actions. In other words, there is an actor-observer bias in how we explain behavior. As observers, we attribute the behavior of others to their wants, motives, and personality traits (the fundamental attribution error). As actors, we tend to find external explanations for our own behavior.