Literature Review Of Attribution Theory

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2. Literature Review
2.1 The Development of Attribution Theory
The attribution theory is one of the newly developed learning motivation theories. From the literal meaning, the attribution theory can be understood as the processing of attributing the consequences of acts or events to some causes. Historically, the study of motivation is the result of the analysis of behavior from the causes of behavior. Conversely, the attribution theory deduces the cause of behavior from behavioral consequences. Hence, the attribution is the causal explanation and inference that the observers make to predict and evaluate human behavior. In summary, attribution is seeking causes of results. That is to say, people analyze their own behavior or others by utilizing their perceptions, thoughts, judgments and so on, and then they find out and explain the reasons for those behaviors. Therefore, attribution is an important component of human cognitive process, as well as an important influence on the formation of self-concepts.
Psychological research into attribution began with the work of Heider(1958) in the early part of the 20th century, subsequently developed by others such as Jones(1965), Davis(1965), Kelley(1967) and Weiner(1974).
2.1.1 The Attribution Theory
Heider (1958) put forward the Attribution Theory in the book The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations, which pioneered the modern field of social cognition. As one part of the larger and more complex Heiderian account of social