PSYCH exam 5

Social Psychology

The study of how people think about, influence, and are affected by other people

Attributions

Inferences that people draw about the causes of events and behavior

Internal-external dimension:

• Internal attributions: explanations based on personal traits

• External attributions: explanations based on situational factors

Stability dimension:

• Unstable cause: temporary, able to change

• Stable cause: permanent, unable to change

Attribution Model

Actor-Observer bias

Tendency to attribute our own behavior to external, situational factors while attributing the same behavior from other people as due to internal, dispositional factors. Ex: people are so inconsidereate when someone else litters…but there is no dustbin when you yourself litter

Fundamental Attribution Error

The “other people” part of the actor-observer bias - we believe others do things because of their internal traits.

Ex: A coworker arrives 20 minutes late to a team meeting, and you immediately think, "They are lazy, disorganized, and don't care about their job." But they were actually late because of a family emergency

Self-serving bias

Tendency to make internal attributions for our successes and external attributions for our failures

Problem when you fail: Lack of accountability!

Just world hypothesis

The belief that the world is just/fair—people ge tthe outcomes they deserve

Good people get good things; bad people get bad things

• Allows people to feel the world is predictable, they have control of outcomes

• Related to the FAE

Attitudes

Our feelings, opinions, and beliefs about people, objects, and ideas

Three components of attitudes (ABCs!):

• Affective: emotional response to the topic/people/idea

• Behavioral: how we act in regards to the topic/person/idea

• Cognitive: how/what we think about the topic/person/idea

We aren’t born with attitudes; we learn them!

• Can be taught directly, learn through personal experience, or learn through observation

Attitudes can influence actions

Our attitudes can affect our actons, especially when:

• They are very strong

• You spend time talking about and practicing them

• The topic affects you directly