The Ultimate Attribution Error: Does it Transcend Conflict? The Case of Muslim Adolescents in Kashmir and Delhi

Abstract

This study examined the attribution style, religious stereotypes and the strength of religious identity in Muslim adolescents in a conflict zone (Kashmir) and a non-conflict zone (Delhi). The sample comprised of 321 adolescents (males = 239; females = 82). The results showed that the attributions made by Kashmiri adolescents were more ethnocentric in the case of judging socially desirable behaviours by in-group members, though were not so in the case of judging socially desirable behaviours by out group members. No differences were found between Kashmiri and Delhi students in the attributions made for socially undesirable behaviours by the in-group or out-group. Further, the adolescents in Kashmir held more positive perceptions of both the in-group and out-group as compared to adolescents in Delhi. Finally, the adolescents in Kashmir displayed stronger religious identity than adolescents in Delhi. The implications of the findings in the context of socio-political context and conflict are discussed.