In social psychology, attribution refers to how we infer the causes of behaviors and events. During a typical day, you probably make a number of different attributions regarding your own actions as well as the behavior of others.
The attributions we make depend upon a number of factors. We are more likely to attribute our own shortcomings to external forces, while we blame internal causes for other people's failures. For example, if you are late for class, you might attribute your tardiness to the fact that your alarm clock didn't function properly. If a fellow classmate shows up late, you might infer that he doesn't take his commitments seriously.
Learn more in this overview of attribution.
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