title: Conceptual structure and social functions of behavior explanations: beyond person--situation attributions.
abstract: The traditional approach to studying behavior explanations involves treating them as either person causes or situation causes and assessing them by using rating scales. An analysis of people's free-response behavior explanations reveals, however, that the conceptual distinctions people use in their explanations are more complex and sophisticated than the person-situation dichotomy suggests. The authors, therefore, introduce a model of the conceptual structure of folk behavior explanations (the network of concepts and assumptions on which explanations are based) and test it in 4 studies. The modes and features of behavior explanations within this conceptual structure also have specific social functions. In 2 additional studies, the authors demonstrate that people alter distinct features of their explanations when pursuing particular impression-management goals and that listeners make inferences about explainers' goals on the basis of these features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, USA. bfmalle@darkwing.uoregon.edu
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Malle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knobe
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Laughlin
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology