Liking and the Attribution of Causation for Success and Failure

Abstract

Summary This study assessed the relationships among judgments of success and failure, liking of another person, and the attribution of causation in 40 male and female undergraduates. Unlike most investigations of the attribution process, this study tested two hypotheses outside of laboratory conditions where the attributional situation was somewhat ambiguous. The results indicate that, in such conditions, judgments of success or failure were uncorrelated with internal versus external attributions of causation. However, success-failure judgments interacted with affective reaction to the actor such that internal-external attribution was greatly affected. Additionally, evidence was presented that suggested that individuals may have difficulty in separating their judgments of a person's success or failure from their liking or disliking of that person.