1. Attribution Theory
Attribution refers to one’s reason for an important outcome. In particular, the more unexpected, negative, and important the outcome is, the more we tend to try to find a causal explanation for the outcome. According to Weiner’s attribution theory (1985), the three dimensions of attribution consist of locus of control, controllability, and stability. Locus of control describes the intrinsic or extrinsic dimensions of an attribution. For example, ability and effort can be internal causes (i.e., internal locus of control) while task difficulty and luck can be external causes (i.e., external locus of control). Controllability illustrates whether the causes of an outcome can be controlled by ourselves. For example, effort and lack of knowledge are controllable, but ability, task difficulty, and luck are uncontrollable. Stability explains whether the causes of an outcome are stable or unstable. For example, ability and task difficulty are stable whereas luck and effort can change depending on the situation. These attributional dimensions can have great impact on our emotions. To be specific, when we attribute our academic success to effort, we would feel happy. On the other hand, when we attribute our academic failure to our effort, we would feel guilty because we realize we did not put forth enough effort. It is important to understand our various emotions following the causal dimension because these emotions can determine our subsequent motivation and action. When we attribute our outcomes to the internal locus of control rather than the external locus of control and perceive them as unstable and controllable instead of stable and uncontrollable, our motivation can be positively affected. For instance, when we attribute failure in academic achievement to our low effort; it has internal, unstable, and controllable cause which leads to a sense of guilt. This attributional analysis is more likely to encourage us to make more effort to achieve a better outcome.
2. Ove’s Attributional Analysis
Every morning, Ove got angry at his neighbors because he thought people do not care anymore about the neighborhood rules. So, he often complained that people in these days are irresponsible and lack morals. In terms of the dimensions of attribution, neighbors’ tendencies not observing the rules was external and stable attribution for Ove. Therefore, this attributional analysis made Ove feel anger and irritation toward his neighbors. Nevertheless, he kept patrolling his neighborhood every morning. This means that Ove still believed that he could make people observe the rules with his effort and conviction for justice. In other words, Ove regarded neighbors’ disregard for rules as a controllable attribution. Thus, this perception motivated Ove not to give up forcing his value system to neighbors who had different value systems from him. Ove’s behavior made people think he is a very stubborn and inflexible person, but Ove did not care at all.
His attributional analysis also influenced the end of relationship with his friend, Rune. Ove and Rune had different viewpoints on ownership. Rune believed that everything is interchangeable and old items are of no value to be replaced with new ones. Because of this belief, he thought professional engineers who can fix old items are not necessary anymore. Also, Rune believed that we do not need to learn the skills of how to fix our broken belongings. Ove, on the other hand, believed that we should have responsibility for every belonging we own. Thus, he emphasized that even if old belongings break down, how we fix them is important. Indeed, Ove was the one who can fix anything with his hands from a radiator to parts of his old house. As Ove and Rune continued to argue caused by their different point of views, Ove ended his friendship with Rune. For Ove, Rune’s opposing perspective was an external, stable, and uncontrollable cause of repetitive conflicts in their relationship. This analysis left Ove feeling hopeless about his friendship with Rune, and Ove did not make any further effort to restore the broken relationship until Rune contracted dementia and became dependent on a wheelchair.
Fortunately, Ove, who was full of dissatisfaction with the world, began to change after becoming closer to his heartwarming neighbors. Ove got used to blaming society and other people when things go wrong, which led Ove to have negative emotions such as anger, annoyance, and frustration. However, as Ove engaged in the relationship with Parveneh’s family, he became interested in other neighbors’ problems and was motivated to help them. As Sonja did, Parvaneh discovered Ove’s hidden strengths while advising him to try making effort to live in harmony with others. Ove tried to change his view of the world and admit that not all bad things are caused by external causes. As he acknowledged that bad results come from internal causes, he began to proactively intervene in all the bad things that happen around him for better outcomes. For example, instead of complaining about Parvaneh’s inept driving which caused his mailbox to break, Ove decided to teach her how to drive. Instead of blaming officials’ injustice, he tried to uncover their corruption and put forth an effort not to send Rune to a nursing home. Instead of complaining about a neighbor who parked his bike in an unauthorized area, Ove asked the reason for the parking to the bike owner and helped him fix his bike. Ove found happiness by helping others and realized the value of interacting with others and the world.
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