Attribution Process

When an event occurs the first thing people tend to do is ask why or search for some explanation. This search for an explanation creates a need for the attribution process which is the process of inferring the causes of other peoples behavior. The most easily relate-able story I have of such an event took place last summer. I was behind a car attempting to make a left turn across two lanes of on coming traffic. There was a car coming as the car in front of me attempted to make the left turn with no sense of urgency and was hit by the on coming car. I had no idea why the person would have even attempted to make such a turn but I had inferred that the person was probably older or maybe an inexperienced driver. When the person got out of the car it indeed was an elderly woman about 80 years old. My attribution process was correct in that instance but there have been many other times where I have been wrong.