PU505: Health Behavior Unit 6 Attribution Theory Flashcards
What is the essence sentence of attribution theory?
There is a cause or explanation for things that happen.
What are the constructs for attribution theory?
Locus of causality - The internal or external location of a cause
Controllability - The extent to which a cause can be willfully changed
Stability - The extent to which a cause is permanent or temporary
Why was attribution theory developed?
To explain what motivates people. (Weiner, 2010)
The research leading up to the development of this theory focused on perceived attributional causes of achievement or the behaviors and other factors that influenced success or failure.
What are the 4 causes or determinates of achievement and where do these locus exist?
For internal locus, ability and effort are volitional and controlled.
For external locus, task difficulty and luck are not volitional and the person has no control over them.
These later became the framework of attribution theory.
Why was a second dimension or characteristic of a cause, stability, added to the theory?
It was recognized that although causes were thought to be unchangeable, in fact some can change.
For example, if a lack of effort caused a failure, effort could change the next time and result in success.
Effort is unstable and changeable. However, if lack of aptitude caused a failure, aptitude cannot change, it’s stable and unchangeable (Weiner, 2010).
Why was controllability added to the attribution theory?
It evolved from the recognition that it was not simply the locus (location) of control that made a difference in the outcome, but rather the location AND extent of control the person has over it.
The locus of control was separated into locus AND control resulting in two characteristics – locus of causality and causal controllability.
This differentiation sometimes gets lost in the literature with the locus of causality used interchangeably with locus of control.
Simply put, this theory explains why outcomes (events, behaviors) happen by looking at what causes them.
Think of it this way–the last time you got a good grade in a course, what caused that to happen?
Was it the long hours you spent reading and studying (effort), working with a tutor (ability), having easy assignments (task difficulty), or the professor who taught the course (luck)?
Each of these causes are either internal or external, stable or unstable, and under volitional control or not.
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Why is it so important for us to attribute a cause to an outcome?
Well, sometimes we assign causation just for the sake of having an explanation.
Other times, we need to attribute a cause because it helps us psychologically deal with a specific event
Much like the 95’-96’ ManU coach attributing the team’s losses to their grey uniforms and bad luck.
Then there are times when it is important for us to understand why a certain event happened because we want to have it happen again (repeated success), or it it was something negative (failure), we want to change what we did so it WON’T happen again (Weiner, 1985).
As the saying goes, “if you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same results.” And that is fine if the results are what you want. If they are not what you want, then knowing the cause will enable you to change what you are doing so you won’t keep getting the same lousy outcome.
Why does knowing more about the outcomes or causality important in attribution theory?
It helps us better understand why people behave in certain ways.
What are the three characteristics of cause (or causal dimensions)?
Locus, stability, and controllability.
What does the locus of causality refer to?
Internal (within the person) or external (outside the person) location of a cause.
What are examples of the internal locus of causality?
Ability and effort.
Possible causes of the internal locus are genetics, gender, age, beliefs, personality traits, and interests.
What are examples of the external locus of causality?
Task difficulty and luck or chance.
Possible causes of the external locus are the environment, social structure, policies, and politics.
What is usually assumed when an outcome, illness, or behavior is perceived as having an internal cause?
It is usually assumed to be unchangeable. In this situation, the person is less likely to be blamed for it.
This is what happens with mental health issues.
When people believe the cause of a mental health issue has an internal locus, such as a personality trait, they are less likely to blame those with the issue for their illness (Lyndon, et al., 2019).
Similarly, when people believe homosexuality is rooted in a person’s biology–that is, the locus of causality is internal–they tend to be more supportive of gay rights. In contrast, when the locus of causality is perceived as external, the environment for example, others are less supportive of gay rights and less accepting of homosexuality as moral (Haider-Markel & Joslyn, 2008).
This is the same for obesity (Joslyn & Haider-Markel, 2019).
This can be different for bullying. If it is believed to be internal for the victim, they will be bullied longer and become depressed compared to those who assign it as an external locus of causality (Danielson & Emmers-Sommers, 2016) (Shelley & Craig, 2010).
Can perceived internal causes be assigned as controllable or uncontrollable?
Yes, uncontrollable causes can be like genetics.
However, the same does not hold true for causes that are internal but perceived as controllable by the person. This is particularly important because when we attribute problems in other people’s lives to things we think they have control over, it leads to blame, stigmas, and stereotypes.
A prime example is obesity. Obesity has been attributed to both internal uncontrollable and controllable causes. Internal, uncontrollable causes of obesity include genetics, medical conditions such as Cushing syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome, side effects of steroids, and some antidepressant medication (CDC, 2020).
When obesity is attributed to these causes, people are generally not held responsible for their weight because it’s perceived as being out of their control.
However, the most popular explanations for obesity attributes it to internal CONTROLLABLE causes (joslyn & heider-markel, 2019) such as lack of willpower, overeating, laxiness, inactivity, lack of motivation and self-discipline, non-compliance with weight loss treatment, and personal choices (joslyn & heider-markel, 2019; puhl & brownwell, 2001, 2003).
When attributed to causes that are perceived as being under the person’s willful control, even though they are internal, obese people are held responsible for their weight and are stigmatized for it (Pearl & Lebowitz, 2014).
Perception on locus of control Examples
Continuation of attached photo…
When peers of males believe he is responsible for and has control over depression, they are more likely to be angry.
For women who are depressed and their peers think the same, they are more likely to react with social acceptance.
More perception of locus of control.
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More on stability
More on Stability
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