Attribution theory says that observers tend to attribute an individual’s actions to enduring character traits whereas the individual tends to explain his or her own actions in terms of the passing demands of a situation [link]. Here’s a recent case in point. Dr. Andrew Bourne was a famous surgeon in Mammoth Lakes, California. He saved the lives of many people who’d been seriously injured on the ski slopes. In December he was charged with sexual misconduct. In January he committed suicide. Some members of the community attribute his suicide to the same ‘self-destructive’ tendencies that lead to his misconduct.
Others describe him as “..energetic, optimistic and precise but perennially late” leaving the impression he had ‘contradictory tendencies’ that could help explain his behavior. According to his attorney, Dr Bourne attributed his conduct to “..a single temptation.”
