Attribution Theory and Person Perception

Attributions

The process of explaining the causes of behavior and events, focusing on whether these causes are internal or external.

Explanatory Style

The habitual way individuals explain events, particularly in terms of their causes, which can be optimistic or pessimistic.

Biases

Systematic tendencies to think in certain ways that can lead to deviations from rationality or objective judgment.

Person Perception

The process of forming impressions about other people, influenced by various factors including physical appearance and behavior.

Attribution Theory

A framework for understanding how individuals infer the causes of their own and others' behaviors, distinguishing between internal and external factors.

Attribution

The act of assigning a cause to a behavior or event, often categorized as either dispositional or situational.

Dispositional Attribution

Attributions that assign behavior to internal characteristics, such as personality traits or motives.

Situational Attribution

Attributions that assign behavior to external factors, such as the environment or specific circumstances.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute one’s own actions to situational factors while attributing others' actions to their personal characteristics.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate the role of dispositional factors and underestimate situational influences when explaining others' behaviors.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute personal successes to internal factors and failures to external factors, protecting self-esteem.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one has control over their life and outcomes based on their own actions and decisions.

External Locus of Control

The belief that outcomes are determined by external forces, such as luck or fate, rather than one's own efforts.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon whereby people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief or expectation that influences a person’s behavior in a way that causes those expectations to come true.

Mirror-Image Perceptions

Mutual perceptions between conflicting parties, where each believes the other to be the source of the conflict and views themselves as morally superior.

Social Comparison

The process of evaluating oneself in relation to others to gain insights about one's own abilities, opinions, and worth.

Relative Deprivation

The perception that one is worse off compared to others, leading to feelings of discontent or injustice.