Attribution Theory Research Articles

Exploring the mechanism of sustained consumer trust in AI chatbots after service failures: a perspective based on attribution and CASA theories

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been widely employed in brand customer service. However, the inherent limitations of computer-generated natural language content occasionally lead to failures in human-computer interactions, potentially damaging a company’s brand image. Therefore, it is crucial to explore how to maintain consumer trust after AI chatbots fail to provide successful service. This study constructs a model to examine the impact of social interaction cues and anthropomorphic factors on users’ sustained trust by integrating the Computers As Social Actors (CASA) theory with attribution theory. An empirical analysis of 462 survey responses reveals that CASA factors (perceived anthropomorphic characteristics, perceived empathic abilities, and perceived interaction quality) can effectively enhance user trust in AI customer service following interaction failures. This process of sustaining trust is mediated through different attributions of failure. Furthermore, AI anxiety, as a cognitive characteristic of users, not only negatively impacts sustained trust but also significantly moderates the effect of internal attributions on sustained trust. These findings expand the research domain of human-computer interaction and provide insights for the practical development of AI chatbots in communication and customer service fields.

Effect of Emotional Self-Awareness Coaching on Professional Burnout Among Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya

Teachers play a pivotal role in the education systems of any nation. Their mental and psychological well-being is critical in achieving positive student educational outcomes. However, professional teacher burnout has been on the rise. Self-awareness is essential to helping individuals connect with their emotional state and how it affects their behavior and those they interact with. This study sought to assess the effect of self-awareness coaching on professional teacher burnout among teachers in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. Weiner's theory of attribution and Goleman's mixed model of emotional Intelligence informed this study (Goleman, 1995). Quasi experiment Solomon four design with a target population of 3469 teachers from 277 public secondary schools of all categories in the County was used. Krejci and Morgan's table was used to sample 346 teachers, while eight principals and 40 Heads of departments were purposefully selected for the study. Maslach Burnout Inventory and an interview guide were used to collect data for professional teacher burnout. A training manual was used to coach self-awareness. Validity was achieved through expert advice and piloting, while reliability was established through the split-half method. Paired t-tests and ANOVA were used for data analysis to get the effect size of coaching. The results indicated that self-awareness coaching had statistically significant positive effects on professional teacher burnout at t = 15.779 at df=78, >.001, The effect size (Cohen d = 0.958) was high; hence, emotional self-awareness coaching significantly reduced professional teacher burnout. The study recommended that the teacher employer (TSC) develop programs to equip teachers with self-awareness skills to curb professional burnout, thereby increasing their productivity

Trust Dynamics in Financial Decision Making: Behavioral Responses to AI and Human Expert Advice Following Structural Breaks.

This study explores the trust dynamics in financial forecasting by comparing how individuals perceive the credibility of AI and human experts during significant structural market changes. We specifically examine the impact of two types of structural breaks on trust: Additive Outliers, which represent a single yet significant anomaly, and Level Shifts, which indicate a sustained change in data patterns. Grounded in theoretical frameworks such as attribution theory, algorithm aversion, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this research investigates psychological responses to AI and human advice under uncertainty. This experiment involved 157 participants, recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), who were asked to forecast stock prices under different structural break scenarios. Participants were randomly assigned to either the AI or human expert treatment group, and the experiment was conducted online. Through this controlled experiment, we find that, while initial trust levels in AI and human experts are comparable, the credibility of advice is more severely compromised following a structural break in the Level Shift condition, compared to the Additive Outlier condition. Moreover, the decline in trust is more pronounced for human experts than for AI. These findings highlight the psychological factors influencing decision making under uncertainty and offer insights into the behavioral responses to AI and human expert systems during structural market changes.

Influencer-product attractiveness transference in interactive fashion marketing: the moderated moderating effect of speciesism against AI

PurposeFashion marketers are adopting attractive virtual personalities to replace human influencers on social media, but the impact of consumer bias against virtual influencer acceptance is not fully understood. Drawing upon match-up hypothesis, attribution theory and speciesism against artificial intelligence (AI), this research investigates how speciesism shapes the influencer-product attractiveness transference in AI-powered influencer marketing for fashion products.Design/methodology/approachThree studies were conducted (N = 1,385) to test the influencer-product attractiveness transference, the moderating role of influencer type and the moderated moderating role of speciesism against AI.FindingsOur studies validated the attractiveness transference and revealed that influencers’ attractiveness promotes purchase intention via perceived product attractiveness. The adoption of virtual (vs human) influencers weakens the attractiveness transference and attenuates the mediating effect. Low speciesism boosts the effectiveness of virtual influencers, such that attractiveness transference disappears only when high-speciesism consumers react to virtual influencers.Originality/valueOur findings clarify how influencers’ physical appearance, AI application and speciesism together impact interactive fashion marketing, offering practical insights into successful influencer strategies on social media.

The effects of artificial intelligence and victims’ deservingness information on citizens’ blame attribution towards administrative errors

ABSTRACT This study examines how citizens attribute blame to government authorities for administrative errors made by artificial intelligence (AI) compared to human decision-makers. Based on blame attribution theory, we conducted a vignette-based survey experiment with 1,098 Chinese citizens, revealing that respondents assign less blame for errors caused by AI or AI-assisted decisions. Additionally, disclosing victims’ deservingness information heightened blame attribution. These findings contribute to the literature on administrative accountability, highlighting how citizens respond to AI-related errors and informing the growing use of AI in public sector decision-making.

Green skepticism: review and research agenda

PurposeDespite a growing interest in investigating green skepticism, there has been a paucity of effort in synthesizing green skepticism research. This study aims to synthesize extant green skepticism research. This study is useful in providing a comprehensive synthesis of research on green skepticism and identifying key gaps in the existing literature, thereby paving the way for future research directions. This research demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the dominant theories, contexts (i.e. countries), characteristics (i.e. key variables and their associations) and methods (i.e. research design) employed in green skepticism research.Design/methodology/approachA hybrid review method that combined an Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with lexicometric analysis was employed to present a comprehensive synthesis of the green skepticism literature.FindingsThe findings showed that many theories have been applied to green skepticism research with the theory of planned behavior and attribution theory being prominently used. The review also proposes a conceptual framework that illustrates the relationships between antecedents and consequences reported in the green skepticism literature. Lexicometric analysis identified six major themes in green skepticism research, including trust in green products, product-related attributes, environmental attributes, social responsibility, organic consumption and promotional campaigns.Research limitations/implicationsThis review included only papers authored in English. Consequently, studies conducted in other languages were not taken into account. Future research could broaden the understanding of green skepticism by incorporating studies conducted in different languages.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical implications for retailers, marketers and policymakers to combat green skepticism and encourage the purchase of green items. This study suggests integrating endorsements from authorized third-party organizations or celebrities into green marketing campaigns to reduce skepticism. Further, aligning corporate social responsibility efforts with genuine social welfare goals can build consumer trust. Finally, securing third-party endorsements for ecological claims will emphasize product credibility and drive green purchase intention.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to review the extant literature in green skepticism by integrating a systematic review approach, lexicometric analysis and the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology framework. Through this approach, (1) SLR provides a detailed synthesis of green skepticism research to date, (2) Lexicometric analysis aids in the identification of key themes investigated in green skepticism research to date, and (3) the TCCM framework assists in identifying crucial avenues for future research endeavors in the realm of green skepticism.

How Do Rural Teachers in China Explain Their Students’ Underachievement? An Attribution Theory and Agency Perspective

How Do Rural Teachers in China Explain Their Students’ Underachievement? An Attribution Theory and Agency Perspective

Price-related consequences of corporate social (ir)responsibility

While corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) have, respectively, positive and negative effects on consumers’ brand responses, their price-related consequences are often overlooked in extant literature. Drawing on attribution theory and negativity bias, we examine the impact of brands’ (ir)responsible behavior on consumers’ multiple price perceptions by applying Van Westendorp’s ‘pricing footprint’. In four experimental studies we show that consumers’ lower price perceptions following CSI are robust and the magnitude of CSI’s impact is greater than that of CSR in the higher price categories (expensive, too expensive). The positive effects of CSR are contingent on the specific CSR domain and the public/private consumption status of the product. Social (versus environmental) CSR generates higher price perceptions, and the magnitude of its impact outperforms that of CSI in the lower price categories (too cheap, cheap). The positive effects of environmental CSR are limited, particularly for privately consumed products.

The inclusive mindset transformation needs of teachers working in challenging conditions: An examination from the perspective of Activity and Attribution Theory

The study examines the professional transformation and support required by teachers in challenging conditions, particularly those with students affected by forced migration, to implement inclusive pedagogy. Through a case study involving three primary school teachers, data were gathered using individual and focus group interviews, and observations. The study, framed within Activity Theory and Attribution Theory, identified the teachers' needs and the difficulties they face in applying inclusive pedagogy. Findings emphasize the need for mindset transformation and professional development in three areas: internalising inclusive education, recognizing personal empowerment, and gaining experiential knowledge. The study recommends supporting teachers to overcome systemic challenges and promoting a growth-oriented mindset. Future research should include other stakeholders' perspectives and further explore theoretical relationships.

Unscrambling the preference puzzle: an in-depth exploration of why Indian international students shy away from home institutions for Master’s programs

PurposeIn 2021, more than half a million Indian students traveled abroad to pursue Master’s programs. Against this background, we explore why Indian students do not enroll in Master’s programs in Indian higher education (IHE) institutions.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured, in-depth online interviews of 30 Indian international students pursuing post-graduation studies in four major host countries were conducted to elicit the required information. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using a thematic approach. The attribution theory was used as a theoretical lens to discuss the findings.FindingsThe results indicate that the primary reasons for students not choosing Indian institutions are wide-ranging. The need to study abroad, decision influencers and why they did not consider IHE institutes were three significant categories encompassing nine themes. The study revealed that besides other factors, the rigor of admission in premier Indian universities is much higher when compared with other international universities. Also, the perceived rate of return in investing in those developed countries' universities is better when compared with those of premier Indian universities.Practical implicationsThe insights will act as marketing intelligence for supporting the business and university administrators of Indian universities in formulating effective tactics to admit more students from this in-demand Indian subgroup.Originality/valueMost of the existing research papers discuss the motivation and challenges of Indian international students for studying abroad, There is negligible research on their demotivation to join IHE institutions. The present study tries to focus on the aspects that most of them considered but did not join IHE. Also, the attribution theory is a new perspective for understanding their behavior in selecting higher education institutions.

Nigerian Graduates as Newcomers in the Workplace: Making Sense of Transitioning Into the Industry

ABSTRACT Nigeria’s higher education system is plagued with diverse structural challenges. However, little research has explored its impact on the achievement of career goals of graduates of this system, especially in the workplace. This study adopts sense-making and blame attribution theories to investigate the experiences of Nigeria’s graduates in their workplaces. After a qualitative analysis of narrative interviews, this study argues that (1) blame attribution forms an anchor to organize narratives of sense-making within an organization; (2) Nigerian graduates blame their education, workplace, and self for the challenges they encounter. Self-blame can potentially shed light on newcomers’ sense-making of their difficult transitioning experiences. The analysis identifies a tripartite problem where these three distinct, but interconnected entities are viewed as responsible for post-graduation challenges in the workplace. Thus, the results demonstrate the need to extend blame attribution theory from its current focus on either external or internal blame targets to understanding individuals within an organizational context potentially blaming both internal and external factors simultaneously for workplace challenges.

How does destination social responsibility impact residents’ quality of life? The mechanisms of disclosure entity, communal relationship, and perceived warmth

Rooted in signaling theory and attribution theory, this research investigated how destination social responsibility (DSR) strategy (ability-oriented vs. effort-oriented) impacts residents’ quality of life (QOL) and support for tourism. A mixed-method approach combining semi-structured interviews and scenario-based experiments was conducted. The results revealed that effort-oriented DSR strategies increaseed residents’ QOL and support for tourism more than ability-oriented DSR strategies, in which perceived warmth and communal relationship play a serial mediation effect. Furthermore, the study identifies a key boundary condition: DSR disclosure entity. The relative dominance of effort-oriented DSR strategies weakens when DSR messages are self-disclosed rather than third-party disclosed. These findings advance prior knowledge on DSR and resident QOL and offer destination managers useful guidance on how to adopt DSR strategies to effectively enhance residents’ QOL and support for tourism. Future research could examine a wider range of outcomes, participant groups, and boundary conditions to build on this study’s conclusions.

Pandemic-Driven Leadership Perceptions: Attribution Theory in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted critical aspects of leadership and public trust amidst a health crisis of unprecedented scale in the United States, especially within a context of significant political polarization. This research paper explores the nuances of leadership effectiveness during the pandemic, focusing on the role of attribution theory in understanding public perceptions of leadership actions. The theory elucidates how the public interprets leaders’ responses to the pandemic, influenced by factors such as political affiliations, societal norms, and racial considerations. The paper investigates the interplay between incumbent advantage theory and the rally ’round the flag effect, alongside the impact of President Trump’s handling of the pandemic on public opinion. It delves into the complexities introduced by the pandemic’s racial dimensions and its effects on minority communities, examining the broader implications for leadership responsiveness and public trust. Using a comprehensive analysis of demographic and psychographic variables, the study reveals a significant negative outlook on Trump’s crisis management across various groups. The findings underscore a complex interplay of media influence, racial identity, health status, financial conditions, and political affiliations in shaping perceptions of leadership accountability. Through the lens of attribution theory, the paper offers a nuanced understanding of the psychological and political dynamics that affect public attitudes toward leadership and accountability during crises.

Buyer-initiated knowledge payment facilitates free knowledge contribution in knowledge-sharing platforms: an integration of relational signaling theory and attribution theory

PurposeThe model of pay-for-knowledge incentivizes individuals with financial rewards for sharing their expertise, facilitating a transactional exchange between knowledge providers (sellers) and seekers (buyers). While this model is effective in promoting paid contributions, its influence on free knowledge exchanges remains ambiguous, creating uncertainty about its overall impact on platform knowledge ecosystems. This study aims to explore the mechanim of how knowledge payment influences free knowledge contribution. Based on relational signaling theory, this study posits that a buyer’s payment for knowledge acts as a positive relational signal in the buyer–seller relationship and examines how the signaling effect varies across different social contexts through attribution theory.Design/methodology/approachThis paper empirically tests the hypotheses by analyzing a data set comprising 630 instances from 359 unique knowledge sellers on Zhihu, a prominent knowledge-sharing platform in China. This paper use zero-inflated negative binomial models to conduct this analysis.FindingsThe findings reveal that when buyers pay for knowledge, this action positively influences sellers to contribute knowledge for free. However, the strength of this influence is moderated by the platform’s social functions: appreciation feedback tends to weaken this effect, while social network ties enhance it.Originality/valuePrior research has predominantly focused on the financial incentives of pay-for-knowledge and its spillover effects on unpaid users’ activities. This study shifts the focus to the social dimensions of pay-for-knowledge, arguing that buyer-initiated knowledge payments signal buyers’ commitment to foster reciprocal relationships with sellers. It expands the literature on the relationship between knowledge payment and contribution, moving beyond financial incentives to include social factors, thus enriching our understanding of the interplay between paid and free knowledge activities. Additionally, the empirical evidence supports the efficacy of pay-for-knowledge in promoting both free and paid contributions within knowledge-sharing platforms.

Patient Perceptions of Weight Stigma Experiences in Healthcare: A Qualitative Analysis.

Weight stigma is the social devaluation and denigration of individuals because of their excess body weight, resulting in poorer physical and mental health and healthcare avoidance. Attribution Theory and Goffman's theory of spoiled identity provided a general overarching framework for understanding weight stigma experiences. Our purpose was to explore weight stigma experiences from a broad range of perspectives emphasizing identities typically excluded in the weight stigma literature. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study with data drawn from 73 substantive narrative comments from participants who responded to a larger survey. Analysis developed five themes: Working on weight, Not being overweight, Lack of help and empathy, Exposure and embarrassment and Positive experiences. Individuals who would be clinically assessed as overweight, especially men, often did not identify with having a weight problem and found the framing of personal responsibility for weight empowering. Participants with larger body sizes more often attributed embarrassment and shame about weight to treatment in the clinical setting. Older participants were more likely to have positive experiences. The findings suggest ongoing tension between the framing of weight as a personal responsibility as opposed to a multifactorial condition with many uncontrollable aspects. Gender, age and body size shaped respondent perspectives, with some young male respondents finding empowerment through perceived personal control of weight. The healthcare system perpetuates weight stigma through lack of adequate equipment and excessively weight-centric medical counselling. Recommending a healthy lifestyle to patients without support or personalized medical assessment may perpetuate weight stigma and associated detrimental health outcomes. Patients with obesity and overweight were integral to this study, providing comments for our qualitative analyses.

Morality or hypocrisy: The effect of hotel sustainability labels varies across different online review valence

Amidst growing emphasis on sustainability in the hotel industry, hotels are increasingly adopting sustainable practices. This trend extends to online platforms, where hotels showcase their sustainability labels as a form of advanced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Such CSR communication is crucially influenced by how customers perceive the consistency of a hotel’s CSR efforts. In the sphere of online hotel booking, customer reviews play a pivotal role as other external clues, illustrating how well hotels fulfill their fundamental economic responsibility. Our study aims to investigate the interactive effects between hotel sustainability labels and the valence of online reviews on customers’ booking intentions. Based on attribution theory and several experimental studies, this research reveals that in the context of negative hotel review valence, the presence (vs. absence) of sustainability labels decreases customers’ booking intention due to an increase in perceived hypocrisy towards the hotel; conversely, in the context of positive hotel review valence, the presence (vs. absence) of sustainability labels enhances customers’ booking intention due to an increase in perceived morality towards the hotel. These findings contribute to the literature exploring hotel sustainability labels, online hotel reviews, and perceptions of hotel hypocrisy.

Integration of Co-Curricular Activities on Students ‘academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Rwanda, A Case of Bugesera District

The main purpose of this research was to assess the influence of the integration of co-curricular activities on students’ performance in public primary schools in Rwanda, case of Bugesera district, Rwanda. This research was supported with attribution theory and involvement Theory. The researcher used descriptive research design for data collections. The participants were students, teachers and Head teachers. The participants comprised students, teachers, and head teachers, totaling 780 respondents, including 30 head teachers, 150 teachers, and 600 students selected from 30 sampled schools across 15 sectors of Bugesera District, Rwanda. The participants were chosen by using different methods where researcher used random sampling and purposive sampling. The responses for sports show that a significant majority of participants believe that sports are well integrated into public primary schools, with 58.7% agreeing and 36.6% strongly agreeing, making it a widely embraced activity. A very small percentage of respondents were neutral or disagreed, suggesting that sports play a prominent role in school co-curricular activities. Music, particularly through choir and instrumental activities, also enjoys considerable integration in schools, with 34.6% agreeing and 52.8% strongly agreeing to its presence. Findings on objective two indicated that The statements focus on satisfaction with co-curricular activities, participation, assessment, impact on learning, fairness, and the role of feedback in academic improvement. Satisfaction with Co-Curricular Activities, A significant majority of students express satisfaction with the co-curricular activities offered at their schools, with 60.2% strongly agreeing and 34.3% agreeing. The data reflects a strong and significant positive correlation between the two variables, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.919 and a p-value (Sig. 2-tailed) of 0.000. The Pearson correlation coefficient 0.919 suggests a very high positive relationship between students' participation in sports and their academic performance. The government should create policies that support the integration of co-curricular activities as part of the national education curriculum.. The government should provide sufficient funding and allocate resources specifically for the development of co-curricular programs in public primary schools. The government should ensure regular monitoring and evaluation of schools to assess the implementation of co-curricular activities and their impact on students' academic performance.

The effect of category‐specific temporal frame on temporal reframing of price

AbstractThis study explores the effects of temporal reframing of price (TRP), a strategy presenting the total cost of a product or service in smaller, segmented amounts (e.g., $1 per day rather than $365 in total), and its potential to intensify consumers' feelings of being misled, thereby negatively impacting their attitudes toward the product. While previous research has underscored the benefits of TRP, such as lowering perceived costs and enhancing perceived benefits through heuristic information processing, the current study, informed by theories of heuristic versus systematic processing and attribution theory, investigates whether TRP leads to increased feelings of manipulation by deviating from conventional category‐specific temporal frames of pricing. Through two experiments, we find that such deviations may prompt consumers to view TRP as manipulative, subsequently heightening feelings of being misled, especially at higher price levels, whereas lower price levels could diminish the scrutiny applied to marketers' intentions. Additionally, this study demonstrates that feelings of being misled mediate the relationship between the presentation of price information and product attitude, highlighting the potential risks of employing TRP strategies. The paper discusses optimal situations for implementing TRP, aiming to navigate its strategic use effectively.

Belief in Karma Phala as a Moderator of Machiavellian Traits and Love of Money on Tax Evasion Perceptions

Tax compliance remains a critical issue globally, affecting economic stability and public trust. This study examines the impact of machiavellian traits and love of money on tax evasion perceptions among tax consultants in Bali, Indonesia, moderated by belief in karma phala. Using attribution theory, the research explores how internal traits and belief systems influence ethical behavior. Data from 340 tax consultants reveal that high machiavellian traits and love of money significantly increase tax evasion perceptions, while belief in karma phala mitigates these effects. The findings highlight the importance of ethical training programs and promoting cultural beliefs like karma phala in professional settings. Tax consulting firms are advised to use personality assessments during recruitment, develop strict ethical guidelines, and integrate cultural values to foster integrity. Future research should explore other cultural and psychological factors in tax compliance and assess the long-term effectiveness of ethical training programs across different contexts.

Investigating how brand image and attitude mediate consumer susceptibility to eWOM and purchase intention: Comparing enterprise-owned vs. third-party online review websites using multigroup analysis

Despite the well-recognized impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on consumer decision-making, there is still a partial understanding of the differences integral to the platforms carrying eWOM. Underpinned by attitude contagion theory and attribution theory, the study investigates how brand attitude and brand image mediate the effect of consumer susceptibility to eWOM on purchase intention comparing the effects between enterprise-owned and third-party eWOM platforms. A self-administered online survey was conducted with 364 respondents and structural equation modelling was employed to test the relationships proposed in the study. The multigroup analysis performed using SmartPLS confirmed a significant difference between platforms. The results revealed that the indirect effect of susceptibility to eWOM on purchase intention, mediated by brand image and brand attitude, was stronger for third-party online review platforms compared to enterprise-owned platforms. This study extends the existing literature on eWOM platforms by empirically testing the different effects of two platforms on purchase intention, highlighting the critical role of third-party platforms in shaping consumer product and brand decisions. It accentuates the importance for enterprises to adapt strategies across review platforms due to varying consumer responses.