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Age Differences in Blame Attributions: The Role of Relationship Outcome Ambiguity and Personal Identification

Georgia Institute of Technology

Address correspondence to Fredda Blanchard-Fields, School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Psychology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0170. E-mail: fb12{at}prism.gatech.edu

Two social factors that could influence age differences in blame attributions were examined: relationship outcome ambiguity (ROA) and personal identification with the characters. ROA is the degree of uncertainty as to the successful resolution of a relationship dilemma. Blame attributions were examined individually for primary and secondary characters in the vignettes. Individuals read vignettes that varied in level of relationship outcome ambiguity. Participants rated the degree to which they blamed and they identified with each character. At high levels of ROA, age differences emerged in that older adults blamed primary characters more than younger adults did. At low levels of ROA, personal identification was the more robust predictor of blaming tendencies. In vignettes high in ROA, salvaging a relationship may take precedence over self-concerns, especially for older adults.