DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA

FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

AN ASSIGNMENT

BY

CHUKWUMA JOY NWAKAEGO

FSS/22/23/286396

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION
1.DEFINE ATTRIBUTION THEORY
2.DESCRIBE TWO TYPES OF ATTRIBUTION WE MAKE
3.EXPLAIN THE CORRESPONDENCE INFERENCE THEORY
4.EXPLAIN THE COVARIATION THEORY
5.LIST AND EXPLAIN TYPES OF COGNITIVE ERRORS WE MAKE IN
RELATION TO EXPLAINING BEHAVIOR

COURSE CODE: PSY 214

COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

MAY, 2024

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Attribution theory is a psychological concept that explains how people attribute causes to events,
behaviors, and outcomes. It is a cognitive process that helps individuals make sense of their
experiences and the world around them. The theory proposes that people tend to attribute causes
to three main factors:

1. Internal factors (also known as dispositional or personal factors): These are characteristics or
traits within an individual, such as ability, effort, or personality.

2. External factors (also known as situational factors): These are circumstances or events outside
of an individual's control, such as luck, chance, or environmental factors.

3. Interactive factors (also known as attributional styles): These are the interactions between
internal and external factors, such as the interaction between a person's ability and the difficulty
of a task.

Attribution theory was first introduced by psychologist Bernard Weiner in 1974 and has since
been widely applied in various fields, including psychology, education, and social psychology.

The theory has several key components, including:

1. Causal attributions: The process of identifying the causes of events or outcomes.

2. Attributional styles: The consistent patterns of attributions that individuals make.

3. Self-serving bias: The tendency to attribute success to internal factors and failure to external
factors.

4. Fundamental attribution error: The tendency to overestimate the role of internal factors and
underestimate the impact of external factors.

Understanding attribution theory can help individuals develop a more accurate and balanced
understanding of their experiences and the world around them, leading to improved motivation,
learning, and relationships.

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THERE ARE TWO MAIN TYPES OF ATTRIBUTIONS:

1. Internal Attributions: These attributions occur when individuals attribute causes to internal
factors, such as:

- Ability (e.g., "I'm good at math.")

- Effort (e.g., "I studied hard for the exam.")

- Personality (e.g., "I'm a hard worker.")

- Mood (e.g., "I'm in a good mood today.")

Internal attributions can be either stable (e.g., ability) or unstable (e.g., effort).

1. EXTERNAL ATTRIBUTIONS: These attributions occur when individuals attribute causes

to external factors, such as:

- Luck (e.g., "I was lucky to get the job.")

- Chance (e.g., "I won the lottery by chance.")

- Task difficulty (e.g., "The exam was easy.")

- Situational factors (e.g., "The traffic made me late.")

EXTERNAL ATTRIBUTIONS can also be either stable (e.g., task difficulty) or unstable (e.g.,
luck).

Understanding the difference between internal and external attributions is important because it
can influence motivation, self-esteem, and behavior. Internal attributions can promote a sense of
control and self-efficacy, while external attributions can lead to a sense of powerlessness and
lack of control.

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The Correspondent Inference Theory (CIT) is a psychological theory that explains how people
make attributions about others' behavior. The theory proposes that when we observe someone's
behavior, we tend to infer corresponding dispositional attributes (e.g., personality traits, attitudes,
or character) that are consistent with that behavior.

The theory was first introduced by psychologist Edward E. Jones and Keith E. Davis in 1965.

Key aspects of CIT:

1. Correspondent inference: We infer dispositional attributes that correspond to the behavior we

observe.

2. Behavioral extremity: The more extreme the behavior, the stronger the inference.

3. Behavioral consistency: Consistent behavior leads to stronger inferences than inconsistent

behavior.

4. Discounting principle: We discount situational factors and attribute behavior to dispositional

factors.

5. Fundamental attribution error: We overestimate dispositional factors and underestimate

situational factors.

Example: If someone helps an elderly person cross the street, we might infer that they are a
helpful and caring person (correspondent inference).

CIT has implications for social perception, impression formation, and interpersonal relationships.
It helps explain how we form opinions about others based on limited information and how we
tend to overestimate the role of personality and underestimate the impact of situational factors in
shaping behavior.

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THE COVARIATION THEORY, also known as the Covariation Model, is a psychological
theory that explains how people attribute causes to events or behaviors. The theory proposes that
people attribute causes based on the covariation (or correlation) between events or behaviors and
potential causes.

The theory was first introduced by psychologist Harold H. Kelley in 1967.

Key aspects of the Covariation Theory:

1. Covariation: People look for correlations between events or behaviors and potential causes.

2. Three criteria for causal attribution: People use three criteria to determine causality:

- Consistency: Is the effect consistent with the cause?

- Distinctiveness: Is the cause unique to the effect?

- Consensus: Do others agree with the cause?

3. Causal schema: People use mental frameworks or schemas to organize and interpret causal
information.

4. Attributional bias: People may exhibit biases in their attributions, such as overestimating
internal causes and underestimating external causes.

Example: If someone experiences a flat tire and it's raining, they might attribute the flat tire to
the rain (covariation).

The Covariation Theory has implications for understanding how people make sense of their
experiences, form attributions, and make decisions. It highlights the importance of considering
multiple factors and avoiding biases in causal attributions.

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COMMON COGNITIVE ERRORS WE MAKE WHEN EXPLAINING BEHAVIORS:

1. Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE): Overestimating the role of personality and

underestimating the impact of situational factors in shaping behavior.

2. Actor-Observer Bias: Attributing our own behavior to situational factors and others' behavior
to their character.

3. Self-Serving Bias: Attributing success to internal factors and failure to external factors.

4. Illusion of Control: Overestimating the degree of control we have over events or outcomes.

5. Illusion of Validity: Overestimating the accuracy of our judgments and decisions.

6. Hindsight Bias: Believing, after an event has occurred, that we would have predicted it.

7. Availability Heuristic: Overestimating the importance of information that readily comes to

mind.

8. Anchoring Effect: Relying too heavily on the first piece of information we receive when
making judgments or decisions.

9. Confirmation Bias: Seeking out information that confirms our preexisting beliefs and ignoring
contradictory evidence.

10. Base Rate Neglect: Ignoring the overall probability of an event and focusing on more salient
or vivid information.

11. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Continuing to invest in a decision because of the resources we've already
committed, even if it no longer makes sense to do so.

12. Halo Effect: Allowing an overall positive impression of someone or something to influence
our judgments of specific traits or characteristics.

These cognitive errors can lead to biases and distortions in our attributions, decision-making, and
judgments about others' behavior. Being aware of these errors can help us strive for more
objective and accurate explanations.