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Related Concept Videos

Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions01:29

Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions

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Aligning actions are communicative strategies individuals employ to maintain social harmony and preserve personal identity in the face of potential disruptions to social norms. These actions are particularly important in managing social impressions when one's behavior might be seen as inappropriate, incompetent, or morally questionable.Types of Aligning ActionsThe three principal types of aligning actions are disclaimers, accounts, and apologies.DisclaimersDisclaimers are preventive; they are...
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According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is...
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Attribution Theory00:56

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Behavior is a product of both the situation (e.g., cultural influences, social roles, and the presence of bystanders) and of the person (e.g., personality characteristics). Subfields of psychology tend to focus on one influence or behavior over others. Situationism is the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. In contrast, dispositionism holds that our behavior is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958).
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People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
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Correspondence Bias

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Correspondence bias, also referred to as the fundamental attribution error, describes the tendency to attribute another person’s behavior to internal characteristics rather than situational influences. This cognitive bias leads individuals to overlook external factors that may be influencing actions, thereby fostering potentially inaccurate assessments of others’ intentions and dispositions.Empirical Evidence for Correspondence BiasResearch has consistently demonstrated the...
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In social interactions, individuals frequently seek to understand the motivations and causes behind others' behaviors. This fundamental aspect of social perception, known as attribution, plays a crucial role in shaping interpersonal relationships and guiding future actions. Attribution refers to the cognitive process through which people infer the reasons behind others' behaviors, allowing them to assess character traits, intentions, and situational influences.Attribution Theory and Its...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
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Taking Blame for Other People's Misconduct.

Jennifer Willard, Stephanie Madon1, Timothy Curran2

  • 1Iowa State University.

Behavioral Sciences & the Law
|February 3, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Taking blame for another person

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Criminology
  • Social Behavior

Background:

  • Taking blame for others' misconduct is a recognized social phenomenon.
  • Understanding the factors influencing this behavior is crucial for legal and social contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate individual differences and situational factors associated with taking blame for another's misconduct.
  • To compare these factors across college students and individuals in substance abuse treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Survey research was conducted on two distinct populations: college students (n=213) and men in substance abuse treatment (n=42).
  • Data collected included individual difference measures and situational variables related to blame-taking scenarios.

Main Results:

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  • For college students, conscientiousness and delinquency predicted the likelihood of encountering blame-taking situations.
  • Situational factors like relationship with the perpetrator, offense seriousness, and consequences influenced blame-taking decisions in students.
  • Substance abuse participants who took blame were more extraverted, loyal to the perpetrator, and had greater incentives.

Conclusions:

  • Individual traits (conscientiousness, delinquency, extraversion) and situational elements (relationship, offense severity, consequences, incentives) play significant roles in blame-taking.
  • Findings contribute to understanding prosocial and antisocial helping behaviors within specific demographic groups.