Attributions

1
Attributions

• You should be able to define the following terms
  from lecture, as well as terms from the text
• Attributions
• Correspondent Inference
• Cognitive Misers
• Fundamental Attribution Error
• Belief in a Just World (know basically what it
  means)
• Actor-Observer Bias
• Self-Serving Bias
• Partner-Enhancing Bias
• Partner Derogating Bias
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

2
Attributions

• Attributions The process by which we seek to
  identify the causes of others behavior and to
  understand their stable traits and dispositions.
• Attributions involve decisions regarding the
  extent to which behaviors are due to situational
  constraints vs internal traits
• Usually, people use either-or decisions

3
Attributions

• Correspondent Inference The belief that we can
  learn about internal traits by watching external
  behaviors.
• We make decisions based on how the behavior fits
  expectations.

4
Attributions

• Attributions are based on the following
  expectations
• Consistency Would the individual act the same
  way over a period of time? Is there something
  about this time that causes them to be
  inconsistent?
• Distinctiveness Would the individual act the
  same way to other events? Is there something
  about this event that makes them act differently
  than any other event?
• Consensus Would other people act in the same way
  as the individual acts? Is the individuals
  choice different from what others would choose?
• The situation is due to personality if there is
  high consistency, low distinctiveness, and low
  consensus

5
Errors of Attributions

• The strongest error we make is known as the
• Fundamental Attribution Error People have a
  strong tendency to overestimate the importance of
  internal traits and underestimate the importance
  of situation.

6
Why do we make the FAE?

• There are three reasons that lead to the FAE
• We are attuned to watching people, not situations
• We might underestimate the importance of the
  situation.

7
Why do we make the FAE?

• There are three reasons that lead to the FAE
• 2. Actor-Observer Bias When we observe others,
  we explain their behaviors as personality for
  ourselves, we are more aware of situational
  constraints.
• We will work to explain our behaviors in a more
  positive light there is no positivity bias for
  others behaviors.

8
Why do we make the FAE?

• There are three reasons that lead to the FAE
• 3. Self-Serving Bias We tend to explain our
  positive behaviors as due to our sparkling
  personality, and our negative behaviors as
  situationally driven.
• We are motivated to see ourselves (but not
  others) in an overly positive light.
• Interesting side note We are also motivated to
  see relationship partners in a positive light
  this leads to Partner Enhancing Biases in a good
  relationship but Partner Derogating Biases in an
  unstable relationship.

9
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy