Attribution Theory We often find ourselves wondering why people behave a certain way during an unforeseen event. By attaching meaning to people behavior, we gain an understanding of why they behave a certain way. This concept is referred to as the attribution theory. The attribution theory analyzes how we explain people’s behavior and what contributes to it (Myers & Twenge 2017). For example, is this person angry because he or she has a bad temper, or because something awful has occurred? According to the attribution theory pioneer Fritz Heider (1958), some of us tend to think people behavior is attributed to their internal causes which is referred to as dispositional attribution (Myers & Twenge 2017). Others tend to think their behavior is attributed to external causes which is referred to situational attribution (Myers & Twenge 2017). After researching the attribution theory (and from my own experiences), I believe people are more susceptible to situational attribution during an unforeseen event rather than dispositional attribution. As in the Stanford Prison Experiment and the scandal at the …show more content…
Abu Ghraib prison, situational attribution was clearly visible when normal, morally-spirited people were exposed to extreme, unfavorable conditions which motivated them to commit horrible acts. The coconspirators succumbed to peer pressure and degradable conditions (external causes) which was evident in both cases when they began to mimic the actions of their peers. About a decade ago, there was an incident that took place at a prison where I worked that was an example of situational attribution. At the time of the incident, I was assigned to Administration Segregation department. On this day, a sergeant assigned to shift, and four correctional officers went to a cell to move an offender to another cell because the offender was being downgraded to a lower security level (a level 2 to a level 3). The housing area where this offender was assigned was the roughest area of the prison and housed the most violent, aggressive offenders. The housing area condition was dreadful. It had the appearance of a “battlefield” because of the bad smell and the damage to the paint on the cell doors and walls caused by the fires set by the offenders. When the staff members arrived at the cell, the offender became agitated and refused to submit to hand restraints because he did not want to be downgraded. The Sergeant and one of the officers were known to act aggressive towards offenders and they both had a reputation for antagonizing them. However, three of the officers were known to be firm, fair and consistent officers who followed agency policy. Rather than seek the authorization to use force to gain compliance from an offender (which was policy), the sergeant and the one officer decided to open the cell door and force the offender to comply with orders.
The offender became aggressive and started to fight both staff members. The remaining three officers, feeling pressured by the moment (or situation), made an irrational decision to enter the cell (without gaining proper authorization) and help their coworkers subdue the offender. The officers fought with the offender for several minutes but were unsuccessful in applying the restraints because the offender continued to be aggressive. The officers exited the cell and secured the door, leaving the offender in his current housing assignment. All officers involved in the unreported use of force decided not to report the incident fearing they would receive
disciplinary. The next morning, an officer assigned to first shift observed the offender with some bruising to his upper torso area. When questioned by staff, the offender reported the use of force. The staff members involved in the incident were identified. The officers involved in the incident received major disciplinary for their actions. The sergeant who was the only supervisor involved, was terminated for his actions. Even though this incident was not as extreme as the Stanford Prison Experiment or the scandal at Abu Ghraib, it proved normal, law abiding citizens are susceptible to making unethical decisions when exposed to peer pressure and degradable conditions. References Myers, D. & Twenge, J. (2017). Social Psychology (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education
Happening in today’s society, there have been countless number of citizens being killed by law enforcement. Some situations may not cause for force and others may. This case can be a reference in regards to making sure that the force you use is appropriate for the situation. As for the justice system, it is all about being fair and listening to both sides and issuing out the right punishment if there is any. Many people in today’s time needs to get educated when it comes to the reason behind why law enforcement uses force to handle the situations they have to deal with. But in the end it all comes down to right and
Conover inferred many times that when something bad happens there will always be another person pointing the finger at another o...
Most law enforcement agencies have policies that determine the use of force needed. The policies describe the escalating series of actions an officer can take to resolve a situation, first level is officer presence which means no force is used, and just the mere presence can reduce
There have been a number of officers who have been accused and convicted of using excessive force. In one case in a maximum security prison in New York there were two correction officers that were caught on video hitting an inmate that was handcuffed behind the back. According to the video it did not appear that the inmate provoked the assault in anyway. Both officers that were involved in the assault were later fired by the prison and they were found guilty of a civil rights violation.
One famous psychology scientist that goes by the name of, Julian Rotter, studied influential behavior and he proposed that individuals differ a great deal in terms of where they place the responsibility that happens to them (Hock 190). Rotter’s findings concluded that people either have an external or internal locus of control for placing responsibility that occurs to them. External locus of control is indicated when when people interpret consequences of their behavior to be controlled by luck, fate, or powerful others (190). One person from the movie young at heart that demonstrates a high external locus of control is Joe. In the hospital, Joe told Bob Cilman, “The lord knows how long your going to be here” (Walker & George, 2007). This is external because outside forces such as the lord, or god, play a
There are some human phenomena, which seem to be the result of individual actions and personal decisions. Yet, these phenomena are often - on closer inspection – as much a result of social factors as of psychological ones.
Police brutality is a very real problem that many Americans face today. The police carry an enormous burden each day. Police work is very stressful and involves many violent and dangerous situations. In many confrontations the police are put in a position in which they may have to use force to control the situation. There are different levels of force and the situation dictates the level use most of the time. The police have very strict rules about police use force and the manner in which they use it. In this paper I will try to explain the many different reason the police cross the line, and the many different people that this type of behavior effects. There are thousands of reports each year of assaults and ill treatment against officers who use excessive force and violate the human rights of their victims. In some cases the police have injured and even killed people through the use of excessive force and brutal treatment. The use of excessive force is a criminal act and I will try and explore the many different factors involved in these situations.
Was the intrusion based on a lawful objective, such as a valid arrest, detention, search, frisk, community warden guardian of mentally ill, defense of an officer or a citizen, or to prevent escape? If these answer yes then an officer may have legal ability to use the levels of force listed below to apprehend the suspect. Another list of things to consider when determining if it was a lawful use of force is; was the use of force relative to the person’s confrontation? Was there a crucial need to terminate the condition? Even though there is no duty to retreat, could the officer have used lesser force and still safely accomplish the lawful objective? These are the questions that the jury need to answer to determine if they should side with or against the officer in any court case brought to them that deals with such a controversial topic as this.
The Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) is a concept within social psychology that assumes when someone is aggressive, it is due to a flaw in their personality as opposed to a reaction to their personal circumstances (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2015). However, there is typically a situational reason for the other person’s behavior that is not taken into account through the FAE (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2015). I have been guilty of making the FAE myself; for example, I can think of two situations where my frustration led me to believe that there were flaws in my antagonists’ characters. Recently, my mother wanted me to assist my brother in scheduling classes for the semester. Since I was annoyed that my mother was insisting that I assist him when
After that I saw Inmate Harris moving quickly and aggressively from my right towards inmate Gaman. I immediately stepped in between both inmates and told them to “knock it off”. As I stood in between both inmates, I tried to keep them separated by putting my arms out and using the palms of my hands as a barrier. As I attempted to deescalate the situation, I gave both of them several verbal commands to stop and lock down. Neither inmate would back down or follow my orders to stop and lockdown.
With reference to articles published within the last decade, critically evaluate the contribution to Social Psychology made by any one Attribution Theory
Buitelaar, J.K., Van Engeland, H., Van Goozen, S.H.M., Mathys, W. & Snoek, H. (2004). Strss responsivity in children with externalizing behavior disorders. Development and psychopathology. 16, 389-406. doi: 10.10170S0954579404044578
Attributions are referred to as the causes of behaviour, and these can be viewed as dispositional or situational. Constructing attributions allows an understanding of others. This allows us to make judgments, which in turn allow us to form an impression of an individual, which will either promote or inhibit our interaction with that individual. Attribution is an important aspect of human behaviour, as it allows predications to be made with respect to forthcoming actions. Attribution explains human causal reasoning i.e. the idea that observed behaviour can be explained as being the result of a specific cause; there is an explanation or a reason behind all observed behaviour. Attribution theorists not only focus on the actual causes of behaviour, but also upon the perceived causes too.
How the Attribution Theory in an attempt to assign meaning/understanding to events on the basis of eith...
Attribution theory suggests that when we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused. That determination depends largely on three factors: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency. Our perceptions of people differ from our perceptions of inanimate objects.