Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 Announcements for March 16 General Announcements 1. Notes on paper topics Narrow the independent and dependent variables Do not include dissertations, if possible 2.This week’s discussants: Liz, Margo, Justin 3. Responses to mid-term evaluations Website will be up soon Move chairs for discussion
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 Agenda Review: Two mechanisms for influence of immediate affect on cognitive processes: Affect Priming and Affect as Information Worksheet Attribution Theories
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 Affect Priming Example: Mood-State Dependency Learn A Learn BTest A Happy Sad Happy Sad Happy Sad Happy Sad Happy
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 Bower’s Mood-State Dependency Sad Recall Mood Happy Recall Mood % Retention Learn Sad Control Learn Happy
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 Description Worksheet Sheet 1: Bill Clinton Sheet 2: A good friend or family member Sheet 3: Yourself
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 Two Attribution Biases Fundamental Attribution Error Tendency to attribute another person’s behavior to his or her dispositional qualities Actor/Observer Effect (example: “hostile driver”) Tendency to incorporate situational factors when explaining one’s own behavior and to neglect situational factors when explaining the behavior of others.
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 What Causes These Biases? Gestalt hypothesis: behavior engulfs the field Information hypothesis: we have more information about our own motives and intents than we have about others
Reason, Passion, & Social CognitionWeek 9, Part 1 What Reduces These Biases? Cultural factors Manipulations of cognitive load (Gilbert, Pelham & Krull, 1988) Dispositional attributions are automatic Situational attributions require effort Therefore, “busy” participants were unable to make use of the situational information.