How Do People Explain Their Own and Other People’s Behaviour?

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A number of factors can influence the actor-observer bias, which also looks at both internal and external factors. Jones and Nisbett (1971) suggested that that when actors seek to explain their own behaviour, they are inclined to give considerable weight to external, environmental (i.e., situational) issues. This was supported by Storms’ (1973) videotape study looking at the focus of attention for the actor-observer bias. He points out that in addition to the physical difficulty of watching oneself, there are temporary restrictions, which contribute to a lack of self-observation. This study shows that visual orientation has a strong influence on the inferences made by actors and observes about the causes of the actor's behaviour (Storms, 1973, 171). Thus supporting Jones and Nisbett’s (1971) hypothesis that actors’ attributions are typically more situational than observers.

Lastly, One of the main criticisms for the attribution theories is the fundamental attribution error proposed by Ross et al (1977). They suggest that the theories create a tendency for people to make dispositional attributions for both their own and other people’s behaviour, even when there are obvious external (environmental) causes. Much of the follow up experiments and research in attribution theories have been conducted in western cultures, which opens up the argument of cultural bias. Through time, there have been developments and changes in social norms, this too adds to the external and internal framework of behavioural explanations.

In conclusion, Kelley’s co-variation model proved to be the most useful in explaining people’s personal and their view of other’s behaviour. Despite the limitations pointed above, this model combines both internal and external factors and it is this co-variation that allows people to have a more supported judgment when it comes to behaviour. Behaviour is something that can be affected by a number of factors and can be interpreted through a multitude of lenses. Through a social psychological perspective, to understand people’s explanation of their own and other people’s behaviour it is important to take into consideration all aspects of the attribution theories as well as their limitations.

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References

Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (1991). McGraw-Hill series in social psychology. Social cognition (2nd ed.). New York: Mcgraw-Hill Book Company.

Försterling, F. (2013). Attribution: An Introduction to Theories, Research and Applications. Taylor and Francis

Hogg, M.A. & Vaughan, G.M. (2014). Social Psychology (7th ed.). Harlow: Pearson.

Jones, E. E., & Nisbett, R. E. (1971). The actor and the observer: Divergent perceptions of the causes of behavior. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press.

Levitis, D.A., Lidicker, W.Z., and Freund, G., 2009. Behavioural biologists do not agree on what constitutes behaviour. Animal Behaviour 78, 103-110.

McLeod, S. A. (2010). Attribution Theory. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/attribution-theory.html

Storms, M. D. (1973). Videotape and the attribution process: reversing actors’ and observers’ point of view. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 27, No. 2, 165-175