Reexamination of the cultural differences in attribution process attribution process

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04323
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Gakushuin University
• Principal Investigator: Toyama Midori 学習院大学, 文学部, 名誉教授 (20132061)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山田 歩 滋賀県立大学, 人間文化学部, 准教授 (00406878)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的認知 / 普遍性－特殊性 / 態度帰属 / 対応バイアス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The cultural difference in attribution process, especially the correspondence bias in attitude attribution was examined by an on-line experiment employing both Japanese and American adult participants, Results indicated that both Japanese and American participants showed correspondence bias in typical attitude attribution paradigm, but didn't exhibit the bias when they were reminded of the situational constraints before inferring the writer's attitude. The results of the two samples showed quite similar patterns. It seems that the basic inference process in attitude attribution is universal and similar across cultures. However, the absolute positions of the inferred attitude were different between the two samples. This tendency reflects the actual difference between the average attitudes in the two samples. The lay beliefs and common ideas are considered to be culturally specific.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

対応バイアスに関しては、日本人もアメリカ人同様のバイアスを示すことを再確認した上、態度推測の前に因果関係の考慮を促す実験操作が、日本人とアメリカ人のどちらに対しても、同様に対応バイアスを消滅させることを示したことは意義が高い。この結果から、態度帰属における基本的な推論プロセスの普遍性が確認できたと言える。
また、自己記述の文化比較研究でよく用いられる２０答法についても、日本人の場合には、文頭の「私は」の有無や教示文によって記述内容が大きく異なることがわかり、比較のツールとしての限界を指摘できた点も意味があった。