When do we seek attributions?
- violated expectancies
- failure to attain a goal
- loss of control
- anticipate future interaction
- negative behaviours
To what kinds of causes do we attribute?
- Internal/external
- Stable/unstable causes
- Controllable/uncontrollable causes
Conditions of correspondent inference (remembered info)
- freely chosen behaviour
- actions low in social desirability
- actions with non-common distinctive effects
Attribution when there are multiple causes - what tendencies are seen?
- discounting: tendency to downplay the importance of one cause when others exist
- augmenting: tendency to increase the importance of one cause when behaviour occurs in presence of an inhibitory factor
What comprises the fundamental attribution error?
- actor-observer effect
- self-serving bias
Actor-observer effect: what is it?
Tendency to attribute own behaviour to external causes, but others to internal
Self-serving bias: what is it?
Tendency to take credit for successes and blame failures on the situation
Actor-observer effect: causes?
- differences in perceptual salience
TO THE ACTOR: the situation is most salient
TO THE OBSERVER: the actor grabs attention - differences in information:
observers have no access to actors behavioural history
Self-serving bias: causes?
- differing needs to protect and enhance own self-esteem
What is the difference between in-self-attribution and in-other-attribution?
in-self: comparing our behaviour with behaviours in different situations
in-other: comparing person’s behaviour to other people in same situation
What information do we use when forming impressions?
- central traits (e.g. warm/cold)
- information presented first
- impressions of others consist of both exemplars and then move on to abstractions (mental summaries of general behaviour)
Define impression management.
Efforts to produce a favourable first impression
What two forms can impression management take?
self-enhancement: boost one’s own appeal e.g. fashion, boasting
other-enhancement: induce positive mood in others e.g. flattery (if over-used: slime effect)
What forms can self-handicapping take?
- avoid simple attribution (e.g. simply don’t try)
- avoid internal attribution (e.g. don’t drink alcohol)
- increase glory of success
Outline implicit personality theory.
the ordinary person’s theory about which personality traits go with other traits.
- filling in the gaps of first impressions
What is attribution
The search for a cause for certain behaviour
Conditions of correspondent inference
— freely chosen behaviors
- forced ones are ignored
— actions with noncommon, distinctive effects
- marrying a rich, intelligent and attractive
- marrying a rich, stupid, and unattractive man
— actions low in social desirability
Fundamental attribution error
Situational factors are not taken fully into account
We rate Laura even if she has no choice
why?
— Further information means more effort
— salience of Person overshadows the situation
Information used for Impression formation
— Central traits (e.g. warm and cold)
— Information presented first
— Impressions of others consist of both exemplars and then move onto abstractions (mental summaries of general behaviour)
— overall characteristics are deduced from specific actions/behaviour; applying social structures/norms to interpret behaviour (e.g. spitting = disrespect, hatred)
