attributions lecture 04

Replication Crisis and Behavioral Expectations

• Replication Crisis Overview

  • Research findings that cannot be consistently duplicated replicate, bringing into question their validity.

  • Remarkable effect of physical sensations on personality perception.

• Influence of Interviewers' Expectations

  • Interviewers' anticipation impacts their perceptions of candidates.

  • Example: A lecturer is portrayed as cold, leading students to view them as less friendly.

Priming Effects on Personality Definition

• Types of Priming Tasks

  • Linguistic tasks designed to prime specific personality traits.

  • Examples include reckless versus adventurous themed sentences.

• Impact on Subsequent Judgments

  • Priming influences students' evaluations of a described character.

  • Finders of adventurous narratives attribute exciting attributes to the character.

Media Influence and Stereotyping

• Mechanisms of Stereotyping

  • Media shapes and maintains stereotypes of social groups.

  • Constantly active concepts lead to biased descriptions and perceptions.

• Gender Stereotyping

  • The portrayal of genders in media reinforces preconceived notions of behavior.

Attribution and Perception of Behavior

• Understanding Behavioral Choices

  • Different contexts affect explanations for others' choices.

• Ambiguity of Choice

  • Choices with multiple explanations versus a unique cause (e.g., picking a hamburger).

Fundamental Attribution Bias

• Definition

  • Tendency to attribute others' behavior to internal factors rather than external.

• Key Experiments

  • Studies by Ross demonstrating perception differences between supervisors and subordinates.

  • Actor-observer bias in attributing behaviors observed versus experienced.

Kelly's Covariance Theory

• Components of Covariance Theory

  • Consensus Information: Evaluates agreement across actors.

  • Distinctiveness Information: Measures how behavior varies with different targets.

  • Consistency Information: Assesses stability in behavior across instances.

• Application of Covariance in Social Perception

  • Different behavioral combinations yield varied attributions about people in social contexts.

Mindsets and Attribution

• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

  • Fixed Mindset: Attributes successes to stable, uncontrollable factors; exemplified by those believing in inherent talent.

  • Growth Mindset: Attributes achievements to controllable efforts and factors; fosters adaptability and resilience.

• Psychological Implications

  • The attribution process impacts self-esteem, motivation, and emotional well-being.

Cognitive Bias and Information Processing

• Actor Observer Bias

  • Distinction in attributions made when observing vs. actively engaging in behavior.

• Effects of Cognitive Load on Attribution

  • Heavy cognitive tasks can obscure our judgment and biases in interpreting others' behaviors.

Cross-Cultural Attribution Differences

• Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Cultures

  • Individualistic cultures emphasize personal traits for behavior explanation.

  • Collectivistic cultures attribute behavior to roles within social contexts.

• Experiments in Cultural Attribution

  • Research highlights different evaluation styles (e.g., Whom to Blame paradigm) to illustrate these differences.