Attribution Theory and Relational Dialectics Theory

Flashcards covering Attribution Theory and Relational Dialectics Theory concepts, figures, and definitions from the lecture notes.

Fritz Heider

Known as the 'Father of attribution theory', who analyzed human behavior and identified how people draw inferences.

Attribution

The process of drawing inferences through a three-step process: Perception of Action, Judgement of Intent, and Attribution of Disposition.

Perception of Action

The first step of attribution, involving the observation or surface perception of an action, behavior, or event.

Judgement of Intent

The second step of attribution, which determines whether an action was accidental or intentional using five factors: Association, Causality, Justifiability, Foreseeability, and Intentionality.

Attribution of Disposition

The third step of attribution, which links observed behavior directly to a person's underlying personality or character.

Casual Inferences

Subconscious thoughts formed about an action.

Dispositional vs. Situational Attributions Chart

A chart comparing dispositional attributions (direct, energetic, responsible, used for storytelling) with situational attributions (formal, objective, evasive, used in scientific reports or when the doer is unknown).

Fundamental Attribution Error

The cognitive bias of judging someone based on their personality rather than the contextual reasoning behind the situation.

Daryl Bem

A Cornell psychologist who studied self-perception and the dispositional labels people assign to themselves.

Dr. Leslie Baxter

An American scholar and communication studies teacher who researches relational communication and contradictions faced by partners.

Dr. Barbara Montgomery

Co-author of 'Relating: Dialogues and Dialectics' (1996) and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT)

A theory proposed in 1988 and formalized in 1996 explaining how partners manage ongoing dynamic tensions in relationships using a 'both/and' framework.

Phenomenological Tradition

A theoretical tradition in RDT that focuses on the lived subjective experience of self and others in a relationship through dialogue.

Socio-Cultural Tradition

A theoretical tradition in RDT asserting that non-static relational meanings shift through daily interaction and conversations.

Internal Dialectics

Relational tensions that play out directly within the relationship between partners.

External Dialectics

Relational tensions that occur between a couple unit and their surrounding community.

Connection-Autonomy

An internal dialectic balancing relational togetherness with individual independence.

Inclusion-Seclusion

An external dialectic balancing social engagement with private isolation.

Certainty-Uncertainty

An internal dialectic balancing routine predictability with novelty and spontaneity.

Conventionality-Uniqueness

An external dialectic balancing cultural/social norms with a distinct relational identity.

Openness-Closedness

An internal dialectic balancing mutual self-disclosure with personal privacy.

Revelation-Concealment

An external dialectic balancing public disclosure with relational secrecy.

Mikhail Bakhtin

The theorist whose concept of dialogue served as the foundation for RDT 2.0, emphasizing multiple cultural and relational voices.

Dialogue as Constitutive

An RDT 2.0 strand stating that communication actively creates, maintains, and changes relationships rather than occurring inside an existing one.

Dialogue as Utterance Chain

An RDT 2.0 strand where conversational turns draw meaning from past, present, and future interactions as well as surrounding cultural voices.

Dialogue as Dialectical Flux

An RDT 2.0 strand viewing relationships as ever-changing, unpredictable, messy, and continuously developing through tension.

Spiraling Inversion

A pattern in dialectical flux where partners alternate positions on a tension over time, switching from one side to the opposite.

Segmentation

A pattern in dialectical flux where partners separate different areas or roles in their relationship across different situations.

Dialogue as an Aesthetic Moment

An RDT 2.0 strand representing a brief feeling of unity where conflicting perspectives are temporarily brought together and respected.

Dialogue as Critical Sensibility

An RDT 2.0 strand emphasizing the ethical responsibility to challenge dominant viewpoints and elevate overlooked voices.

Sissela Bok's Principle of Veracity

An ethical principle holding that truthful statements are preferable to lies unless exceptional circumstances justify deception.

Sensitizing Theory

A category of theory, like RDT, evaluated on offering new understanding of complex human relationships rather than standard predictive laws.