6.2 Attribution

In listening to various radio talk shows, it is somewhat dissapointing in how some recklessly make attributions about certain subjects, situations and people with apparent ignorance....and they do so without shame. For example, we read a news article....at that time we make the choice to formulate an opinion to some varying degree. If it is an emotional-charged subject, we may be more defined in our position regardless of the fact that we could be lacking quite a bit of pertinent information on the subject. I have listened to people calling in to the radio talk shows and offer an opinion that seems to be lacking foundation, realizing that most of the public are not privy to the entire set of facts. Nevertheless, an attribution is made.

What drives us to making quick, off the cuff assessments. Some psychologists have made the correlation between this and the set of values that we have either been taught and/or subscribed to over the course or our lives. We have developed a set of expectations, discriminating thoughts, and prejudices when it comes to a certain subjects; as a result, we make certain attributions. It may be safe to say that most people make reasonable and healty attributions throughout the course of life..........if we see a bear eating a fish, we are most likely not going to run up to it and try to take it away. Why? We have been trained to attribute injury to an angry bear.