Attribution Theory : Event Causation And Relational Dialectics Theory

as opposed to external situational factors. This can be due to our focus on the person more than their situation, about which we may know very little. When we are playing the role of observer, which is largely when we look at others, we make this fundamental attribution error. When we are thinking about ourselves, however, we will tend to make situational attributions. Our expectations of our social world matter because of our social beliefs and judgments.

Trevor’s actions led his peers to label him as a constant threat, as well as the school “weirdo.” Everyone, even his parents, cautioned himself or herself around him. Trevor’s own actions categorized him as a threat to all. His peers would wonder about the causes for his actions. This led them to believe in false causes. A theory in this particular case, which is widely used in this concept, is the attribution theory. This explains and states the different types of processes we use to judge behaviors

Fundamental attribution error is a basic belief that whatever the problems befall us personally are the result of difficult circumstances, while the same problems in other people are the result of their bad choices. This is significant for understanding negative attitudes toward oversight people because when we personally cannot make it to the gym or eat a healthy snack we don’t blame ourselves. We wither didn’t have time of didn’t have the necessary materials. On the other hand if we someone obese eating unhealthy or who doesn’t go to the gym we make assumptions saying that they don’t have any self control and they are lazy.

Situational Attribution: Believing the cause of a behavior is based on the person’s situation, not their attitude. An example of this in the movie was when Judy found out the reason for predators going savage was due to the flowers, not due to their attitudes or genetics.

Attribution as defined as “ the process of attaching meaning to another person’s behavior” (Chapter 4, 123). Pat and Tiffany are at a diner together getting acquainted with each other, as Pat eats his raisin brans and Tiffany drinks her tea, Pat asks Tiffany to give a letter to his wife. Tiffany explains she has to be careful as she already lost her job and Pat ask how she got fired, Tiffany replies “ for having sex with everybody in the office.” Tiffany explains the reason that she was very depressed after her husband Tommy died and there was a lot of people at the office at the time. Within this scene, I understand the behavior in which Tiffany had casual sex with strangers, and the meaning for her behavior was make friends easier after the unfortunate death of her husband

Notably, the fundamental attribution error is a personal bias that is problematic in society. To emphasize, the fundamental attribution error is when individuals have the tendency to attribute people’s behavior to components of their character or personality, even when situational influences are producing the behavior (Textbook, page 171). An example of the fundamental attribution error operating in daily life is when a driver avoids hitting a pedestrian and causes an accident. In this

In the ways of the world it is easier to make assessments about people or objects based on a quick observation. For instance, almost everyone has heard the clique saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This is a perfect scenario where looking at just what is holding the book together a decision is made on whether the book will be picked to read. In the same ways individuals tend to judge each other. Unfortunately, when quick judgments are snapped about a person or object the observer is missing out a bigger picture. This is defined as the fundamental attribution error. For example, a person kicking a vending machine over and over may not have an anger management problem. Although, the observer may make this assumption as they walk by not

The theory of victim blaming takes shape in the form of three varying definitions, facilitation, precipitation, and provocation (Karmen, 2016). The three terms have different meanings, consequently, they all place some form of responsibility for a criminal act upon the victim. There is not a great deal of difference noted between precipitation and provocation as they both are focused more on crimes against a person, consequently, there is a great deal of difference noted between these two and facilitation, which focuses more on property crimes.

The fundamental attribution error intrigued me while reading the book because I came across the example about Hurricane Katrina. I lived through this experience so I felt it was only right that I talk about my take. The definition of the fundamental attribution error is assuming someone’s personality based on their actions, even when there are powerful outside forces that can be influencing them. Hurricane Katrina was a horrible natural disaster that no one could have predicted would happen but none the less it happened. I remember my family and I watching the news together and coming to the crippling conclusion that we had to leave everything we had behind. Of course, we were used to this because we lived in what they call “the soup bowl” and we were used to emergency evacuations for hurricanes. There was no

When we make situational attributions, we are identifying the cause of an action as something

Whereas "internal" or "dispositional" attribution assigns causality to factors within the person, such as their own level of intelligence or other variables that make the individual responsible for the event.

In the modern understanding, “a scapegoat is picked out as a vulnerable person—someone on the margins of the community: a stranger, a new arrival, a person with a physical defect, an unattached woman—could suddenly transform a situation of increasing social disorder into social peace.” Girard mentions how a sacrifice is a surrogate victim, animal or human, that acts as a scapegoat and dispels the violence. The scapegoat must have certain qualities. First it must be both part of the community yet somehow apart from it. Second, it must be similar to the target of rivalry that started the mimetic violence. Third, it must be a victim that can be sacrificed without fear of retribution. However, the idea of sacrifice decreasing violence is contradictory

Currently, Black Lives Matter victims are struggling with the loss of children, relatives, and close friends due to an illogical order in society. The guilty are set free, while the innocent are accused of putting themselves in unfriendly situations, therefore making them a byproduct of their demise. In order to completely understand how innocent people are being killed and murderers are getting away free, I uncovered the truth behind scapegoating. This unfair societal issue is a problem, nonetheless, a careless standard of pledging guilt on the ones who are rightfully innocent. In my essay I argue, by utilizing Burke’s theory of scapegoating in the Tamir Rice shooting, I understand how law and society constructs who receives guilt and who

This internal attribution hypothesis is a terrible response for me because it means I make a terrible friend. This thought make me more awful than broken wrist and flat tire, and I would really consider whether I need to make this friend or not.

For most individuals, the thought of blaming the victim of a tragic experience for their own pain and suffering, seems preposterous. However, ascribing at least some of the blame to the victim is not uncommon (Niemi & Young, 2014). Victim blaming refers to individuals finding reasons to hold the victim of an incident responsible for the crime that took place (Hayes, Lorenz & Bell, 2013). For victims of sexual assault, who may already be experiencing self-blame and distrust of others, being blamed adds insult to injury (Harber, Podolski, & Williams, 2015). According to Harber et. al, victim blaming can also have long-term effects on victims, such as, increased anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In an effort to increase support and resources for survivors of sexual assault researchers must determine why individuals are prone to blaming the victims rather than the perpetrator of a crime.