01_Impression Formation & Attribution of Cause Flashcards
Information & Impression Formation:
Primacy Effect and Trait Negativity
Information received early in an interaction often holds the greatest influence (primacy effect)
We weigh negative information more heavily
(trait negativity)
Impression Formation:
Schemata
Organized, interconnected mental networks of information based on personal experience
Impression Formation:
Schemata and Information Processing
Attention is prioritized to schema-consistent information
New information is interpreted in ways consistent with schemata
Memory/recall is stronger for schema-consistent information
Impression Formation:
Scripts
“Event schemas”
Knowledge about the appropriate sequence of behaviors for specific social situations
Impression Formation:
Central Traits (Asch)
Warmth/Coldness & Competence
Essential traits that provide unique information and carry more weight than other attributes
Associated with a large number of other characteristics
Impression Formation:
Social Context (Rosenhan)
The behaviors of others tend to be perceived in a manner that is consistent with the social environment in which they occur
[Pseudopatient Study]
Attribution of Cause:
3 Types of Attributions
Dispositional vs Situational
Stable vs Unstable
Specific vs Global
2 Types of attributions used when evaluating success or failure
(Heider)
Stable vs. Unstable
Dispositonal vs. Situational
E.g. Failure to be Hired for a Job:
Stable dispositional factor = lack of ability
Unstable dispositional factor = lack of effort
Stable situational factor = overly competitive job market
Unstable situational factor = bad luck
Attribution of Cause:
Traditionally Masculine / Feminine Tasks
Success on traditionally masculine task
Men= attributed to ability
Women = attributed to luck
Success on traditionally feminine task
Men and Women = attributed to ability
3 Attributional Biases
Fundamental Attribution Error
Actor-Observer effect
Self-serving Bias
Fundamental Attribution Error
When evaluating Others:
Overestimate role of dispositional factors
Underestimate role of situational factors
Belief-in-a-Just-World Bias
Tendency to view victims as the cause of their own misfortune
[Function of fundamental attribution error]
Actor-Observer Effect
Salience of factors is due to Point of View of observer, and affects attribution
Actor attributes situational factors to themselves
[sees environmental/situational factors, does not see themself]
Observer attribute dispositional factors to others
[see’s other’s behaviors, more salient than environment]
Self-Serving Bias
Blaming external factors for failures
+
Taking credit for our successes
One Exception to Self-Serving Bias
Depressed individuals who exhibit learned helplessness
Attribute failures to internal, stable, and global factors
