Attribution Theory and Mediation

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Attribution Theory and Mediation

• By Irene Pergamo

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• Our behavior centers on the perceived causes of
  behavior by ordinary people in everyday life. It
  explains the process by which you come to
  understand your own behavior and that of others.

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• In order to attribute dispositions to an actor,
  first the actors actions and the effects (or
  consequences) of these actions are observed by
  the perceiver. Then the perceiver has to decide
  whether the effects were intended by the actor.
  On the basis of this decision, the perceiver
  makes the attribution of the disposition to the
  actor.

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• Internal attributions occur when a persons
  behavior is attributed to internal
  characteristics (personality or beliefs).
• External attributions occur when behavior is
  attributed to something outside of a persons
  control (e.g., traffic or environmental issues).
• People tend to attribute other peoples behavior
  to internal characteristics, and their own
  behavior to external characteristics (Fundamental
  Attribution Error)

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• Mediators can use these factors to
• predict the communication strategies each party
  will use in the mediation process.
• This will ultimately allow the mediator to select
  the right techniques to shift attributions,
  thereby shifting each partys communication
  strategies, and thereby shifting the outcome.

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• unlike the justice system, the mediation process
  is not intended to find fault, assign blame, or
  punish anyone.
• Mediators can take the philosophy of restorative
  justice and use the motivations behind
  attribution theory as a tool to reverse
  preconceived notions individuals have assigned to
  others and self.

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• Attribution theory suggests that mediation needs
  always to take account of the relationship
  between the people.
• Mediators can use reframing to put a positive
  spin on a negative situation.

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• Reframing is used to clarify and uncover the
  essence of the meaning, needs, interests, or
  concerns from an unproductive framing and present
  it in a new way so that it can be more easily
  addressed and handled by the parties.

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• There is research evidence that parties are often
  willing and able to hear and accept statements
  worded by the mediator when they are not able to
  hear or accept ad identical statement from
  another disputant.

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• Its the mediators goal to de-escalate the
  emotional dynamic behind the conflict in order to
  encourage abstract thinking in general, and
  encourage a shift from negative attributions to a
  new framework that allows each party to better
  view and understand each others perspectives.

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• Attributional retraining is the process by which
  a person is led to reflect on his/her own
  attributes for a situation, and consider
  alternative explanations.
• This skill can be used to make positions into
  interests.
• Attributional retraining can help mediators to
  skillfully shake a partys certainty in his/her
  assumptions, and thereby change the context of
  the blame game.

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• Emotional Reframing is described as reframing the
  partys concerns and feelings with the same
  emotional intensity that he/she is experiencing.
• Can de-escalate the conflict by lessening the
  energy surrounding the conflict.

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• Role Reversal is where each party speaks from the
  perspective of the other.
• Take responsibility of their own actions. This
  may enable disputants to believe that the
  situation is to blame.
• Video tape each party so they see them selves
  through the eyes of the casual observer or
  another party.
• Do want/dont want. This exercise requires
  active listening and restating each others
  wishes.