Synopses & Reviews
* When couples are in a distressed relationship, they hold
each other at fault for negative events, which exacerbates
the likelihood of divorce.
* When a schizophrenic or depressed family member is thought
to be responsible for his or her dysfunctional behavior,
family members communicate hostility and criticism, which
increases the likelihood of recidivism.
* When parents or spouses are abusive, they tend to believe
that their victims meant to upset them, which gives rise to
aggression.
This intriguing new work provides a careful examination of how judgments of ourselves and others relate to such problems and, in so doing, yields valuable insight into human interactions and motivational processes. Laying out a general theory of social motivation, the author incorporates a number of well-researched areas in social psychology and motivation to elucidate basic principles that guide human conduct across culture and time.
Chapters reveal how responsibility inferences are reached, the manner in which such judgments affect emotions, and the role that "cold" judgments of responsibility versus "hot" feelings, such as anger, play in producing both positive and negative behaviors.
The author demonstrates that the ways others are perceived influence the behaviors directed toward them, showing how attributions of personal causality are followed by judgments of responsibility. These inferences then give rise to other-directed emotions such as anger and sympathy which, in turn, generate antisocial and prosocial actions.
Based on this framework, chapters examine how achievements are evaluated and what engenders help giving, aggression, and reactions toward the stigmatized, including those with AIDS, the obese, alcoholics, homosexuals, and the poor. Throughout, chapters include extensive reviews of the research, as well as experiments for readers to complete that illustrate the applicability of the theory. Attention is given to excuses because this tactic has been extensively studied and is the most understood mechanism of decreasing inferences of personal responsibility for a negative act. A detailed examination of confession, its impact and reasons for its success, is also presented.
Providing a conceptual system that permits readers a deeper understanding of motivational processes and suggests guidelines for more effective interventions, this book is insightful reading for a wide range of scholars. It offers a general theory of social motivation that will inform the work of social and motivation psychologists. Clinical and research psychologists, as well as mental health practitioners, will particularly appreciate its timely attention to reactions to those in society who are stigmatized. Written in an accessible style, it also serves as an advanced text for students in these fields.
Review
"This book is a major achievement that extends Weiner's already impressive attribution theory of motivation in new directions. With pristine clarity it demonstrates how judgment of responsibility can be used to generalize theoretical principles derived from the study of achievement evaluation to a wide variety of behaviors. The result is a comprehensive theory of social conduct that is essential reading for anyone interested in human behavior." --Frank D. Fincham, Ph.D., FBPsS, University of Wales, Cardiff
"Professor Weiner has made a bold attempt to present a scientific analysis of the issues involved in assigning responsibility and blame. In contrast with traditional solutions, he argues that it is not blame but emotion (anger or sympathy) that mediates subsequent social behavior. Weiner's clear thinking and relevant empirical data bring a fresh and interesting perspective to highly significant and perennially debated social and moral issues." --Carroll E. Izard, Ph.D., Unidel Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Delaware
"...we pronounce the book good, judge it innocent of poor scholarship, and sentence it to having a long impact on research and theory on interpersonal judgment....this book is a significant read with enormous strengths and a provocative, testable point of view. It presents an important perspective that adds emotional and moral elements into our more cognitive models for judgments of others....accessible to a broad audience....the text is appropriate both for undergraduates and for graduate students and established academics tilling the fields of attribution processes. The book can serve as a wonderful teaching tool as the reader completes studies, gets personally involved, and therefore easily grasps the ideas and findings." --Kathryn C. Oleson and Robert M. Arkin, Contemporary Psychology
Review
"We pronounce the book good, judge it innocent of poor scholarship, and sentence it to having a long impact on research and theory on interpersonal judgment....This book is a significant read with enormous strengths and a provocative, testable point of view. It presents an important perspective that adds emotional and moral elements into our more cognitive models for judgments of others....The text is appropriate both for undergraduates and for graduate students and established academics tilling the fields of attribution processes."--Contemporary Psychology
Synopsis
Presenting a general theory of social motivation, this compelling work integrates research on achievement evaluation, stigmatization, helping behavior, aggression, and impression management. Bernard Weiner examines how responsibility inferences are reached, the manner in which such judgments affect emotions, and the role that "cold" judgments of responsibility versus "hot" feelings, such as anger, play in producing both pro- and antisocial behaviors. Ideal for students as well as researchers and mental health practitioners, the book includes experiments for the reader to complete that illustrate the main points of the text.
Synopsis
Presenting a general theory of social motivation, this compelling work integrates research on achievement evaluation, stigmatization, helping behavior, aggression, and impression management. Bernard Weiner examines how responsibility inferences are reached, the manner in which such judgments affect emotions, and the role that "cold" judgments of responsibility versus "hot" feelings, such as anger, play in producing both pro- and antisocial behaviors. Ideal for students as well as researchers and mental health practitioners, the book includes experiments for the reader to complete that illustrate the main points of the text.
Synopsis
Presenting a general theory of social motivation, this comprehensive volume integrates a range of well-researched areas in social psychology and motivation, including achievement evaluation, reactions to the stigmatized, help giving, aggression, and impression management. Ideal for students as well as for mental health practitioners, the book provides extensive overviews of the research areas and includes experiments for the reader to complete that illustrate the main point of the text.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 271-291) and indexes.
About the Author
Bernard Weiner, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. A leading contributor to the field of attribution theory, he has written, coauthored, or edited 13 books and published more than 125 journal articles and book chapters. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, his work has also been honored by a Donald Campbell Distinguished Research Award from the Division of Personality and Social Psychology of the American Psychological Association, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Bielefeld, Germany.
Table of Contents
1. The Anatomy of Responsibility
2. Responsibility and Achievement Evaluation
3. Responsibility and Stigmatization
4. AIDS and Stigmatization
5. Responsibility, Stigmatization, Mental Illness, and the Family
6. Helping Behavior
7. Aggression
8. Reducing Inferences of Responsibility: Excuses and Confession
9. On the Construction of Psychological Theory and Other Issues