Edward Jones (1927-1993)

Professional Life
Edward Ellsworth Jones was born in 1927. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Harvard University. Jones spent most of his professional career as a social psychologist at Duke University before he moved to Princeton, where he joined the faculty of the University’s Department of Psychology in 1977. Jones focused his work on the attribution process. He developed the theory of correspondent inferences with his colleague Keith Davis. Additionally, Jones worked with Richard E. Nisbett and created the Actor-observer bias. He also authored a paper with Victor Harris that eventually led to the formation of the fundamental attribution error theory.

Contribution to Psychology
Jones explored the fundamental attribution error versus correspondence bias. The fundamental attribution error explains the process by which an individual over-values the dispositional explanations of behaviors of others while giving less credence to the explanations derived from the particular situation or circumstance surrounding those behaviors. This theory is exhibited most often when an individual describes the behaviors of another person. The theory does not apply to an individual’s explanation of their own behaviors as this explanation is influenced by situational context. This dynamic is called the actor-observer bias, a name given by Lee Ross after he observed an experiment by Victor Harris and Jones that clearly displayed this judgmental process. Ross believed that this theory is a cornerstone of social psychology.

The fundamental attribution error theory is often referred to as the correspondence bias theory, although there are specific notable differences between the two. Correspondence bias, or correspondence inference, appears to occur under different conditions. Experts believe that correspondent dispositional inferences are exhibited spontaneously whereas attributional behaviors are only present when a situation is unexpected or directly opposes the expectations of an individual. Additionally, studies have suggested that different verbs, denoting action or states, elicit different responses. Researchers also believe that attributions occur slowly while correspondence biases and inferences are automatic and occur immediately. It is also believed that the processing mechanism that causes the bias is different for each behavior. To create a correspondence inference an individual must first decipher the behavior and place it into its appropriate situational context in order to develop an inference. Casual attributions, however, are most often formed through visual processing, integrating data analysis and schemas. This singular difference suggests that correspondence inference is a larger factor than casual attribution in developing behavioral interpretation. Cross cultural research has also revealed differences between the two theories. The evidence suggests that fundamental attribution error occurs more often in individualistic environments yet correspondence bias is present across cultural divisions.