It is a mindset thing for sure.
There is a certain amount of "predictability" that plays in too.
When it comes to a guy in front of me, he can do a wide range of things to try to evade, cause an overshoot, etc. He might be new and inexperienced- or he might be an AH mastermind. I don't know. That guy isn't all that predictable.
The guy on my six is different. I know what he wants to do, what he's flying, where he's going, and how he plans to get there. I know his relative speed (faster than me, or he isn't a threat). I know his basic capabilities based on plane, speed, alt, and number of enemies nearby.
I know what he'll do if I turn left, right, climb, or dive. Knowing that, I just set up my flight path accordingly, and try to time it so my bullets cross his flight path at the same time as his plane. Lots of different ways to do that, so I won't go into all that.
If he's aggressive, he's more predictable. If he's less aggressive, he's less predictable, but also less dangerous (at least immediately). The less aggressive pilot will probably zoom upward, or at least not follow me through my trap. That's ok, because it gives me time to ponder plan B, which may simply be to merge on more "even" terms.
Or I may spray from him at 2K-2.5K (I leave tracers on), and wiggle my wings a little. That's the ultimate bait. Look like a total newbie on the verge of losing control. Funny how aggressive that can make some people. :^)
MtnMan