Rintaro Okabe experiences a complex set of attributions that impact his emotions and motivations throughout the story. For Okabe, the narrative is shaped by how he interprets the unfolding events, especially as he deals with repeated time travel attempts and the consequences of his actions on the people he cares about.

Okabe often attributes the outcomes of events internally, especially when it comes to protecting the people he loves, such as Kurisu and Mayuri. For example, he blames himself for failing to prevent Mayuri's death each time he returns to the past. These internal attributions make him feel responsible for the tragedies that keep happening around him. This self blame leads to intense guilt, despair, and emotional exhaustion. On the other hand, when things go well, Okabe may sometimes attribute success to external factors, such as luck or the capabilities of his friends. These inconsistent attributions of internalizing failures while externalizing successes can negatively impact his emotional resilience.  

Okabe initially perceives his failures as stable and unchangeable, particularly during the many unsuccessful attempts to save Mayuri. He starts to believe that the outcomes are inevitable which no matter how many times he does time travel, her death is a stable outcome. This belief causes significant distress, sense of hopelessness, even thoughts of giving up. The perceived stability of these events leads to long term negative emotions like anxiety, sadness and depression. However, when Okabe shifts his perception and begins to see his situation as unstable and changeable, his motivation increases. He develops a new sense of attribution and determination, and his emotional state shifts from negative to positive. The recognition of that he still has potential to change the future allowing him to try different methods and ultimately succeed in altering the future. This shift from a stable to an unstable attribution pattern leads to improved resilience and a greater willingness to take action.

Controllability is a also an important aspect of Okabe's attributions, as it determines whether he feels empowered to change his circumstances. For much of the series, Okabe feels a lack of control over the unfolding events, which is partly why he experiences such negative emotions. The perception that his efforts are useless, because he cannot control the outcome by repeating time leaps, leads to emotional burnout and almost causes him to give up entirely. His lack of perceived control leads to feelings of helplessness and anxiety, which hinder his motivation and make him question whether all his efforts are wasted.

Okabe’s attributions play an important role in shaping his emotional journey and motivation throughout Steins;Gate. When he attributes negative events internally, views them as stable, and perceives a lack of control, he experiences intense despair, hopelessness, and a sense of powerlessness. However, by shifting these attributions, which seeing his circumstances as unstable and ultimately within his control, Okabe is able to find hope and motivation to move forward. This change in his attribution allows him to maintain his determination, ultimately leading to successful outcomes and a more positive emotional state.