{34} Bias, Person Perception, Attribution, and Attitudes

Question 1

Internal (Dispositional) vs. External (Situational) Attributions?

Answer 1

Internal:
Other’s people behvaior is something within them such as personalities, motives, or attitudes
External:
Something outside the person, such as nature of the situation, is the cause of his or her behavior

Question 2

Define:

Attribution?

Answer 2

The inferences we make about the causes of other people’s behavior

Question 3

Self-serving bias vs. fundamental attribution error?

Answer 3

Self-Serving Bias:
Situational attributions for our failures but dispotional attributions of our successes
Fundamental Attribution Error:
Situational attribution for our successes and displositional attirbutions for our failures.

Question 4

Explain:

Attitudes?

Answer 4

Attitudes: A person’s favorable or unfavorable feelings, or beliefs, or actions toward an obect, an idea, or a person
1. Affective: Feelings or emotions assoicated with the belief
2. Cognitive: The rational thoughts and beliefs that make up the attitude
3. Behavioral: The motive to act in a particular way toward the person or object of the attitude

Question 5

Explain:

Cognitive Dissonance?

Answer 5

The feeling of discomfrot caused by information that is at odds with one’s conception of onself as a reasonable and sensible person

Three options to decrease discomfort from cognitive dissonance:
1. Change behavior
2. Justify it by changing cognitions associated with it to make it consistent with behavior
3. Add new cognitions as to justify it

Question 6

Explain:

Self-Perception Theory?

Ex? When is it more applicable?

Answer 6

The tendency for people to analyze their own behavior and their consequences to explain their specific attitudes and emotions

More appplicable in situations in which people’s attitudes are initially vague, ambiguous, or weak

Question 7

Explain:

Social Comparison?

Upward and Downward Social Comparison?

Answer 7

People value their own personal and social worth by assessing how they compare to others

Upward: When we compare ourselves with those who we believe are better than us
Primarily used when we desire to improve our current status or level of ability

Downward: When we compare ourselves to others who are worse off than us

Primarily used when we want to make ourselves feel better about our abilities or tratis

Question 8

Explain:

Persuasion?

Two Pathways according to Elaboration Likelihood Model?

Answer 8

The process of changing our attitude toward something based on some kind of communication
Central Route:
Logic driven and uses data and facts to convince people of an argument’s worthiness Arguement has to be strong
Better when audience is analytical and willing to engage in processing of information
Peripheral Route:
Indirect route that uses peripheral cues to assoicate positivity with the message
Focuses on positive characteristics such as positive emotions and celebrity endorsement

Question 9

Explain:

Yale Attitude Change Approach?

Answer 9

1. Who: The source of communication
- Credible Speakers:
More Credible -> More persuasive
Less Credible -> Less Persuasive
- Attractive Speakers:
More Attrictive -> More persuasive
Less Attractive = Less persuasive
2. What: The nature of communication
- Subtlety:
More Subtle -> More persuasive
Less Subtle -> Less persuasive
- Sidedness
A two-sides argument is better than a one-sided one
- Timing
People are more influenced by what they hear first
3. To Whom: The Nature of the Audience
Attention:
People need to be paying attention
Intelligence:
Lower intelligence -> More persuasable
Higher intelligene -> Less persuasable
Self-Esteem:
Moderate Self-Esteem -> More persuasable
High or Low Self-Esteem -> Less persuasable
Age:
18-25 -> more persuadable
25< -> Less persuadable