An Attributional Perspective on Labeling

Drawing extensively from the attributional investigations of Bernard Weiner and his colleagues in the area of achievement motivation, this review addresses attribution theory and its implications for labeling. Specifically, findings concerning attributional taxonomies, antecedents, and consequents are presented and related to labeling effects. In addition, a relationship between informal labeling and attributional processes is proposed. It is concluded that attributions, not the presence or absence of formal labels, may be the critical variable of concern.