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Dispositional attribution: multiple inferences about motive-related traits.
Glenn D Reeder1, Roos Vonk, Marla J Ronk
1Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4620, USA. gdreeder@ilsru.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|April 1, 2004
Summary
Understanding a person's motives is key to judging their character. This study shows that inferred motives, not just situational factors, significantly shape our dispositional inferences about others.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Dispositional inference involves integrating information about a target's motives and traits.
- Perceived motives can influence attributional processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how inferred motives influence dispositional inferences.
- To compare the predictive power of motive inferences versus other attributional factors.
Main Methods:
- Participants evaluated a target person's helpfulness under different situational conditions (free choice, no choice, ulterior motive).
- Inferences about the target's motives and dispositions were recorded.
Main Results:
- Dispositional inferences about helpfulness varied based on the inferred motive (obedience vs. selfish).
- Inferences about motives were stronger predictors of dispositional judgments than global causal attributions or base rates.
Conclusions:
- The specific content of inferred motives significantly impacts dispositional judgments.
- Motive-based reasoning is a primary driver in forming impressions of others.