Attribution Theory and Person Perception

Attribution Theory & Person Perception

First Impressions

Reflect on the reliability of first impressions; consider personal experiences where one’s initial judgment of someone was proven wrong, emphasizing the complexity and depth of human personality.

Announcements

Upcoming Due Dates

• Unit 3 Learning quiz corrections are due on Friday, 2/7! Late submissions will not be accepted, so please plan accordingly.

Course Progress

• Only two more units remain; content completion is over halfway completed, encouraging students to stay organized and proactive in their studies.

Roadmap of AP Psychology

Units of Instruction

• Unit Breakdown:

  • Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior

  • Unit 2: Cognition

  • Unit 3: Development and Learning

  • Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality

  • Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health

Unit 4 Focus Areas

Prominent Topics include:

• 4.1 Attribution Theory and Person Perception (15-25% exam weight)

• 4.2 Attitude Formation and Attitude Change (15-25% exam weight)

• 4.3 Psychology of Social Situations

• 4.4 Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories of Personality

• 4.5 Social-Cognitive and Trait Theories of Personality

• 4.6 Motivation

• 4.7 Emotion

Key Vocabulary to Know

• Attributions: Beliefs about the causes of behavior.

• Dispositional Attributions: Attributing behaviors to internal characteristics.

• Situational Attributions: Attributing behaviors to external factors.

• Explanatory Style: The habitual way individuals explain events.

• Optimistic: Characterized by hopefulness and confidence about the future.

• Pessimistic: Tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.

• Biases in Attributions: Cognitive biases affecting how behaviors are interpreted.

• Actor/observer bias: Tendency to attribute our own behavior to situational factors while attributing others' behaviors to their personal characteristics.

• Fundamental Attribution Error: Overemphasis on dispositional factors when judging others’ behavior.

• Self-serving bias: Success attributed to internal factors, failures to external ones.

• Locus of Control: Degrees of control individuals feel they have over events in their lives.

  • Internal: Belief in self-responsibility.

  • External: Belief in influence of external factors.

• Person Perception: The process of forming impressions of others and interpreting nonverbal cues.

• Mere Exposure Effect: Increased preference for something after repeated exposure.

• Self-fulfilling Prophecy: Expectation affects behavior in a way that causes the expectation to come true.

• Social Comparison: Evaluating oneself against others, impacting self-image.

• Relative Deprivation: Feelings of dissatisfaction arising from comparisons with others.

Introduction to Social Psychology

Definition

Scientific inquiry into how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts, focusing on interpersonal relationships and societal structures.

Focus Areas

Investigates cognitive and emotional processes that guide social interactions, enhancing the understanding of interpersonal dynamics and broader social patterns.

Attributions

Definition

Explanations for behaviors help us interpret actions and predict future behaviors.

Types of Attributions

1. Internal (Dispositional): Attributed to personal traits or feelings, often shapes how we view ourselves and others.

2. External (Situational): Attributed to contextual factors affecting behavior, reinforcing the importance of empathy in social psychology.

Importance

Understanding attributions aids in making predictions about behavior, while misattributions can jeopardize personal and professional relationships, leading to conflicts.

Dispositional Attributions

Definition ̵

•  (also called internal attributions) assign the cause of behavior to personal traits, abilities, or feelings. When we make dispositional attributions, we assume that behavior reflects who someone is rather than the circumstances they face. 

  • Examples: If someone is late to class, you might think they are lazy or irresponsible. If someone excels in a presentation, you might think they are intelligent and hardworking.