An attributional analysis of commitment.

C. A. Kiesler (1971) suggested that commitment to an act can be equated with feelings of self-responsibility for that act. This analysis implies that factors affecting attribution of self-responsibility for an act should also affect commitment. Two studies with a total of 93 male undergraduates supported the notion that attribution of self-responsibility for an act increases commitment to that act. Increasing self-focus (Exp I) increased commitment, and increasing the number of plausible causes present (Exp II) decreased commitment to a chosen act. Furthermore, in an effort to determine the role that perceived choice plays in the attributional process leading to commitment, perceived choice was also manipulated. Results indicate that choice clearly affected attribution to self and thus commitment, but choice did not appear to be absolutely essential to that process. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)