Attribution

Question 1

Attribution= (1) + e.g.

Answer 1

• the process of assigning causes to our own and others’ behaviour (we seek to explain the world around us)
• e.g. astrology, conspiracy theories

Question 2

Forer effect (1949) & Barnum statements»

Answer 2

People given high accuracy rating to descriptions supposedly tailored to them, even though they are VAGUE & GENERAL enough to apply to most

Question 3

Forer effect & labels

Answer 3

• participants more likely to select their star sign when label included (Silverman, 1971)

Question 4

Forer effect + factors effecting acceptance (Dickinson & Kelly, 1985) (3)

Answer 4

> specificity (including name)
favourability of profile (how nice)
authority of evaluator (e.g. scientist)

Question 5

Different theories of attribution (3)

Answer 5

• common sense
• correspondent inference theory (jones & Davis, 1965)
• covariation model of attribution (kelley, 1967)

Question 6

Common sense (heider)> concept

Answer 6

idea we seek to explain the world around us, thus believe everyone else to have same motivation to explain the world around them

Question 7

common sense: Heider> 3 principles (3) + (2)

Answer 7

• behaviour is motivated, not random (we seek to explain)
• we look for causes to predict & control the environment
• we distinguish personality & environmental factors (situational influence on behaviour
  –>internal attribution (personalty=shy)
  –>external attribution (they are out of comfort zone)

Question 8

Common sense (Heider)> formula

Answer 8

Behaviour= function of (person x environment)

Question 9

correspondent inference (jones & Davis, 1965)> 5 cues for if behaviour reflects a person (5)

Answer 9

> act freely chosen
produced non-common effect
socially desirable
directly impacted you
act was personal

Question 10

correspondent inference (jones & Davis, 1965)> concept

Answer 10

• 5 sources of cues to decide if a behaviour reflects a person
• idea behaviour shows who they are (if kind to 1 but not 2> not kind)

Question 11

why was the correspondent inference model (5 cues) short-lived?

Answer 11

• model assumes we judge deliberately
• judgements are actually automatic

Question 12

Attribution: Covariation model (aka ANOVA)> concept (2)

Answer 12

• people identify factors that COVARY & then assign it a causal role
• used to decide if behaviour is INTEGRAL (personality) or EXTERNAL (stimuli)

Question 13

Attribution: Covariation model (aka ANOVA): 3 main factors»

Answer 13

• consensus (does everybody agree?)
• distinctiveness (is it unique to a person?)
• consistency

Question 14

What does the Covariation model (aka ANOVA) of attribution, LACK: (3)

Answer 14

• exposure effects (more know a person> impression changes)
• distinctive from naive
• substantial evidence

Question 15

Attribution styles (individual differences): Locus of control (rotter, 1966)>

Answer 15

-LOC= the degree to which an individual believes that they (as opposed to external forces) have control over the outcome of events in their lives

Question 16

Attribution styles (individual differences): Locus of control (rotter, 1966)> 2 types>

Answer 16

• internal= believe they control outcomes
• external= believes that other forces are in control

Question 17

Locus of control is a great predictor of:

Answer 17

• behaviour, success, relationships, attitudes, quality of life

Question 18

Biases in attribution (2)

Answer 18

• Fundamental Attribution Error (aka correspondence bias)= tendency for people to make DISPOSITIONAL attributions for others’ behaviour, even when clear external/ environmental causal contenders
• Cognitive misers= people use cognitive short cuts (heuristics) to make thinking easier (though not always objectively correct)

Question 19

Bias towards ourselves: (4)

Answer 19

• self-serving bias
• self-handicapping (reverse self-serving)
• optimism bias
• false consensus effect

Question 20

bias towards ourselves: self-serving bias

Answer 20

-Attribute positive events to self; & negative events to external factors
- e.g. (got an A because of hard work; got a D because exam was “too hard or unfair”)

Question 21

biases towards ourselves: self-handicapping (reverse-self-serving)

Answer 21

anticipated failure leads to external attributions

Question 22

biases towards ourselves: optimism bias (armor & taylor, 2002; Roesch & Amrikham, 1997)

Answer 22

belief that we are less likely to experience a negative event
- e.g. divorce, smoking

Question 23

biases towards ourselves: false consensus effect=

Answer 23

see our own behaviour as more typical than it is
(e.g. everyone does it mentality)

Question 24

What causes the fundamental attribution error?> (4)

Answer 24

> Focus of attention= behaviour attracts more attention than what is going on in the background
Differential forgetting= people can forget situational causes more readily than dispositional cues
Cultural & development factors= idea of ‘normative’ way of thinking
Linguistic factors= eng lang constructed so easy to describe an action & actors in same terms but not a situation

Question 25

Teleological thinking =

Answer 25

• Teleological thinking= purpose driven thinking (idea everything exists to serve some function) to make sense of the world (Kundert & Edman, 2017)

Question 26

What does teleological thinking extend to»

Answer 26

• objects & events
• superstitious thinking

Question 27

Face pareidolia= (2)

Answer 27

seeing faces in object
>links to (hyperactive) Agent Detection= presumed sentience where there might not be any

Question 28

conspiracy theories= (douglas & sutton, 2011) & (Aaronvitch, 2009)

Answer 28

“an attempt to explain the ultimate cause of a significant political or socal event as a secret plot by a covert alliance of powerful individuals or organisations”
>”the unnecessary assumption of conspiracy when other explanations are more probable”

Question 29

conspiracy vs conspiracy theories (2)

Answer 29

• conspiracies do happen
• what separates the two is coherent logic & evidence