AP Psychology Unit 4 - Attribution Theory & Person Perception

Attribution Theory

The framework for understanding how individuals explain the causes of behavior, typically differentiating between internal (personal) and external (situational) attributions.

Attributions

The explanations we create for our own and others' behaviors, often influenced by situational or dispositional factors.

Dispositional Factors

Explanations in which behavior is attributed to internal characteristics, such as personality traits, beliefs, or attitudes.

Situational Factors

Explanations in which behavior is attributed to external characteristics, such as environment, social context, or situational pressures.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

A cognitive framework where individuals attribute positive events to internal, stable, and global factors, while attributing negative events to external, unstable, and specific factors.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

A cognitive framework where individuals attribute negative events to internal factors, while attributing positive events to external factors

Availability Heuristic

A mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision.

Overconfidence Bias

The tendency to overestimate one’s abilities or knowledge, often leading to flawed decision-making and unrealistic assessments of risk.

Representative Heuristic

A mental shortcut used to make judgments about the probability of an event based on how closely it resembles a typical case.

Locus of Control

A psychological concept that refers to an individual's belief about the primary causes of events in their lives, specifically the degree to which they perceive outcomes to be influenced by external factors versus their own actions.

Internal Locus of Control

The locus of control that refers to the belief that one can control their life outcomes through their own efforts, decisions, and abilities.

External Locus of Control

The locus of control that refers to the belief that outcomes are determined by external factors, such as fate, luck, or the actions of others.

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

A phenomenon where a person's expectations about another individual or themselves lead to behaviors that ultimately confirm those expectations.

Social Comparison

The process of comparing oneself to others to evaluate abilities, opinions, or social status.

Comparing oneself to someone they perceive as less than will give a confidence boost, while comparing oneself to someone they perceive as better will hurt confidence

Mere Exposure Effect

The psychological phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them, often occurring through repeated exposure.

Commonly the effect associated with falling in love

Attraction: Proximity

The tendency for individuals to develop closer relationships with those who are geographically and socially near them, enhancing feelings of attraction.

Attraction: Physical Attractiveness

The tendency for individuals to be drawn to others who are physically appealing, often impacting initial social interactions and relationships.

Attraction: Similarity

The tendency for individuals to be attracted to others who share similar interests, values, and characteristics, often leading to stronger and more lasting relationships.

Passionate Love

A type of love characterized by intense longing, emotional attachment, and sexual attraction, typically experienced in the early stages of a romantic relationship.

Companionate Love

A deep, emotional bond characterized by mutual respect, trust, and attachment, often present in long-term relationships.

Fundamental Attribution Error

When one overexaggerates internal factors in attributing other’s behaviors without considering external factors

Self Serving Bias

A type of bias that happens when an individual succeeds, that is attributed to internal factors while failure is attributed towards external factors

It can protect self esteem, but makes it unable to learn from mistakes

Actor-Observer Bias

A type of bias that happens when we use situational attribution to explain our own actions but use dispositional attributions to explain someone else’s actions

Upward Social Comparison

When an individual compares themselves to someone they believe is better off. This can motivate them to improve themselves, but can also create an inferiority complex and feel discouraged.

Downward Comparison

When an individual compares themselves to someone they believe is worse off. This can make someone feel better about their situation and are less likely to improve themselves

Relative Deprivation

The feeling that an individual is missing out on resources and opportunities compared to other people

Explanatory Style

How we rationalize or explain certain events or situations in life

Reference Group

The people one is comparing themselves to, and adjusting their wants and needs to being like or not like them