Dispositional attribution: multiple inferences about motive-related traits.
This research views dispositional inference as a process whereby perceivers integrate multiple inferences about a target person's motives and traits. The findings suggest that although perceived motives may stimulate extra attributional processing (S. Fein, 1996), the content of the inferred motive is important as well. Perceivers learned about situational forces implying that a target person had free choice, no choice, or an ulterior motive for helpful behavior. Inferences about the target's helpfulness differed depending on whether the target's behavior was attributed to an obedience motive (no-choice condition) or to a selfish motive (ulterior-motive condition). In general, inferences about motives were more predictive of dispositional inferences than were global causal attributions (to situational vs. dispositional forces) or base rate assumptions.
Reeder
Glenn D
GD
Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4620, USA. gdreeder@ilsru.edu
Vonk
Roos
R
Ronk
Marla J
MJ
Ham
Jaap
J
Lawrence
Melissa
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001290:Attitude; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011930:Reaction Time; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014743:Videotape Recording; D014796:Visual Perception