RESEARCH_FILE
Internal Attribution Spiral
The internal attribution spiral is the pattern of explaining job loss and search rejections through stable, internal causes — 'I'm not good enough', 'I'm the problem' — even when layoffs and hiring decisions are driven largely by markets, budgets, and fit. Attribution research based on Weiner's model shows these causal explanations are a separate variable from the event itself, shaping emotional reactions and reemployment expectations — so the explanation can keep doing damage after the event is over.
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They kept everyone but me”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“A spreadsheet made a call about a role. It never met the person.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
When you next feel the urge to revise your CV, pause and name aloud: 'I'm re-trying the case.' Then close the file and spend exactly those ten minutes on one real job posting instead.
How it sounds in your head
The inner script: 'Third rejection this month. It's official: I'm the defect they all spotted.' The attribution research separates the two facts: three rejections happened, and one story about their cause was chosen — a stable, internal one. The same three rejections support other causal stories at least as well.