Causal attribution (English: causal attribution) – the process of assigning or explaining behavior, an event, or a situation based on identifying and analyzing their causes or causal factors. This means that in causal attribution, we seek to determine which factors or events caused specific phenomena.
Examples of causal attribution include:
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Internal causes: People may explain behavior or an event as the result of internal factors, such as personal traits, motivation, or skills. For example, if someone received a promotion, this may be attributed to their diligence and professionalism.
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External causes: People may attribute behavior or an event to external factors, such as circumstances, chance, or environmental influences. For example, if someone was late for work because of traffic, this may be explained by an external cause.
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Mixed causes: Causal attribution often involves both internal and external factors. For example, a person may explain a poor exam result as the outcome of insufficient preparation (an internal cause) and anxiety caused by difficult questions (an external cause).
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