Dimensional asymmetry in attributional inference

A number of bipolar personality dimensions were investigated, some of which were selected a priori as being primarily concerned with interpersonal differences in skill (such as unintelligence-intelligence), and others of which were thought to describe differences in preferences (such as indoor-outdoor). Two findings emerged. First, persons at opposite poles of skill dimensions were assumed to possess differential role-taking ability: a skillful person was perceived as relatively more competent at portraying the opposite behavior than was an unskilled person. Second, attributions based upon skillful behavior tend to be less affected by contextual factors than attributions based upon unskillful behavior. An alternative interpretation of the results is discussed.