A Synthesis and Extension of the Weiner and Kelley Attribution Models

Abstract

Attribution theory and research has centered around 2 basic models: (a) the achievement-motivation model, which has been concerned primarily with self-attributions and is characterized by the work of Weiner and his colleagues (e.g., Weiner, 1986; Weiner et al., 1971), and (b) Kelley's cube, which has been used primarily to describe how observers use information to make attributions for the behavior of others (e.g., Green & Mitchell, 1979). The presence of these 2 distinct models, each with a different area and scope of application, has presented a number of problems for researchers in: comparing self- and social attributions; synthesizing the results of different studies; and examining the leader-member attribution process, particularly with respect to actor-observer biases. This article examines these problems and proposes a synthesized model integrating the dimensions of both models. The synthesis provides a theoretical foundation for classifying and comparing self- and social attributions while explicating the process by which informational cues map onto attributional dimensions and explanations.