situational attribution

the ascription of one’s own or another’s behavior, an event, or an outcome to causes outside the person concerned, such as luck, pressure from other people, or external circumstances. Also called environmental attribution; external attribution. Compare dispositional attribution.

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Psychology term of the day

December 21st 2024

voir dire

the process of questioning prospective jurors to determine if they hold biases that may reasonably interfere with their ability to act impartially in a particular trial (from Norman French, literally: “to speak the truth”). The questions may be asked in private or in open court and may be posed by the attorneys, the judge, or both. Jurors may be asked to stand down by a challenge for cause or a peremptory challenge.