Attribution theory, how we attribute others behavior

[LightInTheDarkestNight]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_theory

Psychology is something that interests me. How we attribute why people do things.

Dispositional attributions

Dispositional attribution is a tendency to attribute people’s behaviors to their dispositions that is to their personality, character and ability.[14] For example, when a normally nice waiter is being rude to his customer, the customer will assume he has a bad temper. The customer, just by looking at the attitude that the waiter is giving him, instantly decides that the waiter is a bad person. The customer oversimplifies the situation by not taking into account all the unfortunate events that might have happened to the waiter which made him become rude at that moment. Therefore, the customer made dispositional attribution by attributing the waiter’s behavior directly to his personality rather than considering situational factors that might have caused the whole “rudeness”. [15]

Perceptual salience and attribution

When people try to make attributions about another's behavior, their information focuses on the individual. Their perception of that individual is lacking most of the external factors which might affect the individual. The gaps tend to be skipped over and the attribution is made based on the perception information most salient. The most salient perceptual information dominates a person's perception of the situation.[20]
For individuals making behavioral attributions about themselves, the situation and external environment are entirely salient, but their own body and behavior are less so. This leads to the tendency to make an external attribution in regards to one's own behavior.[21]

This makes sense if someone comes off as rude or wrongs you or others, people don't like to accept or take into account the fact that their are many other external factors that play a role in them coming off that way. Some people just assume good people never or don't do bad things. In many peoples minds if someone wrongs you or a friend they must be a "bad person" otherwise they would have never wronged you.

Everybody makes mistakes we all harm people, it's a part of life. It's very hard for most people to comprehend the fact that someone wronging you may have been due to the context of their situation not purely their personality. They think "if he(or she) was a good person they wouldn't have wronged me". If you cause harm to someone you prevent cognitive dissonance by thinking worse of that person. The opposite can be said if you do a favor for someone you think better of them.

Even nice, caring or just "good" people can come off or even do rude, angry, things from time to time. That doesn't necessarily make them a bad person.

 

[morning rush]

In many peoples minds if someone wrongs you or a friend they must be a "bad person" otherwise they would have never wronged you.

this is what my mom thinks, whenever I get into a fight with a friend, automatically they are bad and I got to let them go....

Everybody makes mistakes we all harm people, it's a part of life.

yep and its a hard thing to realize or accept....unconsciously we all want to be perfect, or the ideal of perfection

Even nice, caring or just "good" people can come off or even do rude, angry, things from time to time. That doesn't necessarily make them a bad person.

agreed....

 

[LightInTheDarkestNight]

I'm a bit of a perfectionist myself. Oddly enough my life is in shambles.

It can certainly can be hard for some people to accept that nice or good people do come off as rude or angry from time to time. People tend to oversimplify things and only see someone from a very narrow point of view.

 

[LightInTheDarkestNight]

bump... I think this is an interesting read there is also interpersonal attribution that we justify our actions or previous ones in a way to make ourselves appear in the best light...