Making Sense of the Social World and Influencing It by Using a Na?ve Attribution Theory of Emotions

摘要

Weiner's (1986) attribution theory of motivation and emotion assumes emotions are determined by beliefs about causality. Individuals share a na?ve understanding of this linkage between causal attribution and emotions and use it in order to draw inferences from and influence others' emotions. Evidence for such uses is provided and recent research and theory that goes beyond the attribution-emotion linkage is discussed. Specifically, recent research considers the na?ve use of a larger set of emotions and appraisals and their connections, and the role of context in this process. However, still missing is a fuller understanding when this na?ve knowledge is employed and how and when it is based on an explicit understanding of the emotion-appraisal linkage rather than more automatic processes.