Weiner's Attribution Theory

Definition

Weiner's Attribution Theory is a social psychology theory that focuses on how individuals explain the causes of their own behavior and the behavior of others. It explores how people make attributions, or judgments about why events occur, based on internal or external factors.

Related terms

Self-Serving Bias:

This refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error:

This is the tendency for people to overemphasize internal characteristics when explaining someone else's behavior, while underestimating situational influences.

Actor-Observer Bias:

This bias occurs when individuals attribute their own actions to external factors but attribute others' actions to internal factors.