Participant-Observer Differences in Attributions for an Ambiguous Victimization
Participant-observer differences in attributions were examined in a field setting. Overenrollment at a large university resulted in the assignment of some students to temporary non-dormitory quarters. Participants (those affected) reacted more negatively to the administration and blamed both themselves and fate less than did observers; further, greater liking of the situation was related to greater perceived avoidability by participants, but less perceived avoidability by observers. Results are discussed in terms of speculation regarding the differential time perspectives of involved and uninvolved parties. It is proposed that participants have a broader time perspective than observers, attending more to both the sequence of events leading up to the situation and future implications of their own involvement.