Attributions of Complex Cause and the Perception of Marital Conflict

Although most causal attribution research has focused on beliefs about simple, singular causes, I hypothesized that people may develop more complex causal accounts, which may be particularly important in understanding how people make sense of social interactions. Male and female undergraduates ( N = 72) observed three videotapes of actors portraying an argument between husband and wife from the perspectives of the husband, the wife, and a counselor. Following each observation, participants completed free-response items concerning cause of the argument and Likert scales concerning responsibility for the argument and conditional expectancy for outcome. Results indicate that observers are likely to consider joint cause in describing social interaction. Explicit instructions to take the perspective of one of the participants reduced the levels of joint cause being reported and of shared responsibility perceived. Perspective also influenced expectancies for changes in the relationship given changes in behavior by either partner.