ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the relationship between the temporal and spatial positions of possible causes and effects and causal attribution. It also discusses data suggesting that the effort-justification effect is a causal-attribution phenomenon mediated by temporal similarity. If the effort-justification effect is an attributional phenomenon mediated by the temporal relationship between the various events involved, it should be possible to reverse the effect by changing the temporal relationship between events. The differences between situations that elevate and those that might depress evaluation of the following target event seem to involve the timing of the onset-offset of noxious stimulation and the occurrence of the target event. The covariation principle predicts a stronger tendency to attribute causality for the effect to the possible cause as temporal covariation between the two events increases. The temporal and spatial similarity appear to be fundamental variables in the causal-attribution process, their role in mediating social psychological phenomena has not always been recognized.
