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 styles -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.

Explanatory Style- A psychological concept that describes how people explain the causes of events, affecting their emotional responses and resilience.

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.