ABSTRACT
Intergroup attribution refers to how members of different social groups explain the behavior, outcomes of behavior, and the social conditions that characterise members of their own (the ingroup) and other (the outgroup) social groups. This chapter is concerned with the maintenance of intergroup conflict by explanations for the behavior of ingroup and outgroup members. It explores the reduction of intergroup conflict, by investigating attributions for behavior that disconfirms expectancies. The chapter reviews the studies that show that the causes of the same behavior can be perceived in very different ways depending on who performs the behavior. B. Weiner wrote that attributions appear to be sufficient antecedents for the elicitation of a number of emotions, including anger, pride (self-esteem), and resignation. He also argued that the underlying dimensions of attributions were significant, and sometimes necessary, determinants of these affective reactions.
