AP Psych Unit 4.1-4.3

attribution theory

how accurate is our ability to judge the causes of behavior?

attribution

the process for determining the causes of other peoples behavior

dispositional vs. situational (outside the person)

dispositional

internal causes; traits, intentions, motives

situational

external causes; luck, factors beyond control, environmental factors

explanatory style

optimistic or pessimistic attributions

Errors in Attribution

The tendency to attribute others’ behavior to dispositional causes to a greater extent than is actually justified

We can’t immediately see others’ background causes

Less common in collectivists cultures (East Asia)

self-serving bias

tendency to attribute our own successes to dispositional causes and our failures to situational causes to a greater extent is actually justified

to protect and enhance our self-esteem

cognitive dissonance

dissonance- unpleasant state

conflict or anxiety resulting from inconsistency between one’s beliefs and one’s actions

dissonance is not desired- so we seek to reduce the dissonence

solving dissonance

cigarettes are unhealthy → unpleasent←i smoke

less leads to more effect

the weaker the reasons for engaging in an opposing behavior the stronger the pressure for changing attitudes (and vice versa)

groupthink

the desire for harmony overrides critical thinking and alternative solutions to a problem (Irving Janis)

Ex: Bay of Pigs

when a group has a common goal, people just want to keep the group happy

group polarization

views become more extreme if they are shared by a group

ex: political rallies, hate group meetings

deindividuation

people lose their identities and moral responsibilities in groups

ex: riots

social facilitation

individuals who perform better in pressurized group situations vs. alone

ex: elite athletes

social loafing

individuals who do less when others are around

ex:tug of war scenario

social trap

a situation where short term gains are repeatedly put ahead of long term dangers

ex: deforestation, environmental concerns, social security

robbers cave experiment

realistic conflict theory

negative feelings and competition over recources

frustration-aggression hypothesis

elaboration likelihood model

a theory explaining how attitudes are formed and changed through two routes: the central route and the peripheral route.

the central route to persuasion

focusing on arguments, facts, and logic to arrive at a decision to change behavior

ex: environmental movement

coca-colas new campaign

(central) beverage calories in schools reduced 69%

peripheral route persuasion