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attribution theory

British  

noun

  1. psychol the theory that tries to explain how people link actions and emotions to particular causes, both internal and external

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Finally, given recent discussions about the role and nature of theatre criticism it is worth taking a look at Tassos Stevens's blog where he is exploring "attribution theory".

From The Guardian