Chapter 4: Perceiving Persons Part 2: Feb. 14, 2012

Attribution Theories (cont.) 2) Kelly’s Covariation theory: – Attribute behavior to internal (person) or external (situation) based on 3 questions – 1. Consensus 2. Distinctiveness 3. Consistency See fig 4.4

If low distinctiveness & low consensus, but high consistency, which attribution? – Example? If high distinctiveness & high consensus, but low consistency, which attribution? – Example?

Biases: Attribution Biases 1) Attribution Biases – What are heuristics? A) Availability heuristic – i) Can lead to false consensus – ii) Can lead to baserate fallacy

– iii) Linked to counterfactual thinking Regret over what we might have done Olympic results example: 2) Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE): – What is it? – 2-step model:

Examples & Sources of the FAE Example – Sources of FAE: – 1) Actor-observer difference. What is it? – 2) Time perspective – – 3) Cultural differences –

Biases: Motivational Biases 2) Motivational Biases – A) Self-serving biases Influence of need for self-esteem Belief in a just world

– B) Belief in a Just World How does it work? Effects on how we view others, especially victims? – Why might we ‘enhance’ victims?

Biases: Confirmation Biases 3) Confirmation Biases – A) Belief Perseverance - search for confirming evidence “On Being Sane in Insane Places” example What do we do with disconfirming evidence? Remedy ?

B) Self-fulfilling prophecy – – Expectations can lead to fulfillment Pygmalion in the classroom – what are the results? – Rosenthal’s (1968) study – automatic process » 4 ways ‘bloomers’ were treated differently: – Differences between experiments on SFP and reality?