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Attribution Theory Of Human Behavior

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There are two theories that explain the root of human behaviors and why people behave the way they do; The attribution theory and the covariation model. Heider, the father of the attribution theory, believed that all human beings are amateur scientists, persistently piecing together facts and information in an effort to grasp a situation and the motivations behind it. Typically, one will assume behavior to be a result of internal personal factors such as attitude, feelings, and character traits. A teacher yelling at her student will be criticized for having a bad temper. On the flip side, attributing a behavior to external factors would mean holding the situation and circumstances responsible; The same teacher may actually be yelling at a student because of his/her lack of conduct. An adorable, vivacious, and chubby relative of mine ran off his yellow school bus in tears last week. In a choked up voice, and with a trembling body, he described how he had fallen down the stairs on his way down to the school’s dining hall for lunch. In a display of internal attribution, instead of rushing to help him up and offer him their assistance, his classmates giggled at his clumsiness and laughed how his stout figure could not keep up with his ravenous appetite. His mom on the other hand, in an effort to protect her son, viewed the situation externally and realized that the steps must’ve been rickety or wet and thus triggered the fall. According to the covariation model, when forming an

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