Actors, observers, and causal attributions of homelessness: Differences in attribution for the causes of homelessness among domiciled and homeless people in Madrid

Abstract

The study analyzes the differences in causal attributions of homelessness and attributions of responsibility among the members of three groups: Homeless Group, consisting of a representative sample of homeless people in Madrid, Spain (n= 188), Domiciled Service-Users Group, consisting of people at risk of homelessness (n=164), and Domiciled Non Service-Users Group, consisting of people at no imminent risk of homelessness (n=180). The Domiciled Service-Users Group and Domiciled Non Service-Users Group were matched to the Homeless Group for sex, age and nationality. The paper also analyzes homeless people's causal attributions as regards their own situation. The results show that compared to the Domiciled Non Service-Users Group, a higher percentage of members of the Homeless Group and Domiciled Service-Users Group attributed homelessness to individualistic causes, and they blamed homeless people for their situation to a greater extent. The results also show that there was no "actor-observer bias” in causal attributions for homelessness in Madrid.