The term "attributional" refers to an aspect or quality associated with attributions, which are the explanations people provide for the causes of events, behaviors, or outcomes. It encompasses the processes, theories, and patterns of attributing reasons or causes to particular actions, circumstances, or individuals.
In psychology, attributional processes are studied to understand how people make sense of events and assess accountability or credit. The attributional style or mindset of an individual relates to their tendency to attribute the outcomes of events to either internal or external causes. Someone with a more "attributional" mindset tends to emphasize explanations that are internal to the individual, attributing outcomes to personal traits, abilities, or efforts, rather than external factors like luck, chance, or the influence of others.
Furthermore, the term "attributional" can also be associated with the study of attribution theory, which explores how people make judgements about causality, responsibility, and blame. Attributions can be classified as internal or external, stable or unstable, controllable or uncontrollable, and global or specific, and these classifications can greatly influence how people view and react to situations.
Overall, the adjective "attributional" pertains to the conceptual framework surrounding attributions and the processes by which individuals assign causes to events, behaviors, or outcomes. It encompasses various approaches, theories, and insights that contribute to the understanding of how people interpret and explain the world around them.
