Evidence for Content-Specificity of Causal Attributions across the Adult Life Span

Abstract

Attributions for events with information varying on level of causality and context (relationship, achievement) were examined in young, middle-aged, and older adults. Participants rated the degree to which the causes of an event were a function of three dispositional dimensions of the primary character, two dimensions of situational factors, and a combination of these. They also wrote essays justifying their ratings. Older and younger adults made more dispositional attributions than middle-aged adults did in relationship situations. Younger and middle-aged adults were more relativistic in their causal attributions than older adults. Relative proportions of dispositional justifications correlated with quantitative dispositional ratings, but only for relationship situations (suggesting strong domain-specific influences on attributional judgments). Clusters of individuals differing in patterns of attributional justifications were identified. Cluster groups showed salient differences in dispositional ratings and dialectical reasoning. Findings are discussed in terms of how beliefs and values individuals hold about situations influence attributional judgments.