Partner on looks for explanations. Attributions in conflictful and after failed partnerships

Abstract

The article presents contents of attributions and attribution behavior on basis of narrative interviews with both partners separated accomplished. The biographically oriented interviews are raised with partners in conflictful partnerships and with partners, who are separated. The evaluation takes place qualitatively before the background of the attribution theories. The content analysis shows that the expressed attributions in both groups – however in different order of rank of the frequency – call the main topics communication, children und sexuality. In attribution behavior there is an order of rank of the attributions for the group of the separated pairs: predominantly the other partner is made responsible for the failure of the relationship, followed of the unsatisfactory pair interaction. After it external influences are made responsible for the failure and very rarely the own person. In the group of the conflictful pairs there does not result any order of rank. Most attributions are here the unsatisfactory pair interaction.