This paper describes the contents of attributional processes associated with the use of force by police officers in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. Previous studies point out that in addition to the legal frameworks, there are belief systems, values, attitudes, moral and situational aspects, and an institutional culture that operate in agents when applying coercion. Through interviews with ten officers, we found external and internal attributive factors, which in turn are related to different types of police work: under orders or without them. We also identify linkages between these factors and different levels of force that agents apply. This research becomes important due to the psychosocial approach in which we prioritize understanding of subjective perspectives of officers, avoiding explanations of police practice just as a mechanism to social and political order.
causal attribution; police; use of force; coercion