Attribution Theory

Attribution Theory

In the fundamental attribution theory an observer explains a person’s behavior by either crediting it to their internal dispositions or to the situation and environment.

In this CNN news article the sentencing of the teenage culprit guilty for the spreading of the computer virus the “blaster” worm is described. U.S. district Judge Marsha Pechman in this article attributes the behavior of the teen to his external situation. The judge blames his parents for allowing him to stay isolated in his room, and that it’s his parents fault for not stopping this “unhealthy behavior”. Along with blaming the parents for his crimes, the judge also shifts the blame upon the internet for “being a dungeon for the mentally ill and lonely”. This demonstrates the attribution theory because the judge attributed the teen’s behavior to external situations (his parent’s irresponsibility) instead of attributing it to the teen’s internal disposition (reckless, inconsiderate).