attribution theory, perception/behavior, stereotypes/implicit attitudes/discrimination

fundamental attribution error

when trying to understand the cause of someone else’s current behavior, we tend to overestimate the influence of personal traits and underestimate the influence of the situation

self serving bias

taking credit for success (dispositional) but blaming failure on external factors (situational)

mere exposure effect

repeated exposure to a stimuli increases our liking for them

attributions

explanations for why people behave the way they do

actor-observer bias

we attribute other’s behavior to character but our own to the situation

dispositional attribution

behavior is caused by internal traits (e.x. personality, intelligence)

situational attribution

behavior is caused by external factors (e.x. environment, stress)

optimistic

attributes failures to external, unstable factors

pessimistic

attributes failures to internal, stable factors

companionate love

deep commitment and affection between people built with trust, lasting

passionate love

romantic love, intense emotions

halo effect

cognitive bias that occurs when a person’s overall impression of someone is based on a single trait

self-fulfilling prophecy

expectations about a person lead to behaviors that make those expectations come true

relative deprivation

feeling deprived compared to others leads to frustration or resentment

stereotype

a generalized belief about a group

cognitive load

under stress, we rely more on stereotypes for quick judgement

biased perceptions

we interpret information to fit our stereotypes

prejudiced attitudes

preconceived negative beliefs about a group

negative evaluations

tendency to judge out-group members more harshly

just world phenomenon

belief that the world is fair, leading to victim-blaming

out-group homogeneity bias

seeing out-group members as all the same

in-group bias

favoring one’s own group

ethnocentrism

believing one’s culture is superior