Unit 4 - Social Psych & Personality

What is attribution theory?

Attribution theory is a framework for understanding how individuals explain the causes of behavior, attributing them to either internal dispositions or external situational factors.

What are internal attributions?

Internal attributions refer to explanations that assign the cause of behavior to personal characteristics, such as traits, attitudes, or values.

What are external attributions?

External attributions are explanations that assign the cause of behavior to situational factors or environmental influences.

What is the fundamental attribution error?

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize internal characteristics of others while downplaying situational influences when explaining someone else's behavior.

What is the actor-observer effect?

The actor-observer effect is a bias where individuals attribute their own actions to external factors while attributing others' actions to internal factors.

What role does culture play in attribution?

Culture can influence attribution styles, with individualistic cultures often emphasizing internal attributions, while collectivistic cultures may focus more on situational and contextual factors.

What is the halo effect?

The halo effect is a cognitive bias where an observer's overall impression of a person influences their feelings and thoughts about that person's character.