Measuring Dispositional and Situational Attributions

The distinction between dispositional and situational attributions initially described by Heider was subsequently incorporated into attribution theory. Most researchers implicitly assume an inversely dependent relationship between dispositional and situational attributions. It is argued, however, that this assumption is untenable by presenting empirical evidence showing that dispositional and situtational attributions do not vary inversely. This suggests that only studies that measure dispositional and situational attributions on separate scales and report the results of both can provide an opportunity for drawing unequivocal conclusions. Methodological implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.