Lecture 23 Flashcards
Attribution theory
Attribution - way that individual explains behavior of self or others - cause and effect. Either (1) situational or (2) dispositional. Individualistic cultures more likely to use dispositional explanations than collectivistic cultures. We tend to have egocentric biases
Fundamental attribution error
Egocentric bias - we tend to think negative behavior of others is more influenced by disposition rather than situation. When we observe others, the people are salient, but when we observe ourselves, the situation is salient.
Reversed attribution errors
When behavior with positive consequences, we credit our dispositions and explain away others’ successes situationally
Illusory superiority
Egocentric bias - the better than average effect on a wide range of variables. Dunning-Krugr effect - everybody is overconfident except for the very competent (impostor syndrome)
False-consensus bias
Egocentric bias. Belief that others are more similar to us in preferences and values than they really are.
Self-fulfilling beliefs
Egocentric bias. Self-fulfilling beliefs and stereotypes about others. If you think someone is friendly, you act friendly and they act friendly in return. Often our beliefs and predictions are based on stereotypes
Pygmalion Effect
If teachers are told a certain student will blossom, they really will due to more attention, praise, and encouragement.
Stability of stereotypes
Stereotypes can be stable even when people encounter disconfirming evidence because perceptions are influenced by expectations.
Solutions to egocentric biases
Perspective taking and trying to search for balanced evidence (to avoid confirmation bias)
Group-consensus bias
Think other groups do or should have same beliefs as own
Group-level illusory superiority
Tendency to think group is better than average
Social facilitation
Performance varies based on arousal, and having an audience increases arousal. Can have positive or negative effects: medium arousal is associated with higher performance than high and low arousal. We want to look better in front of others, and when we have extra cognitive capacity we do. But when we don’t have extra capacity we do worse.
Social loafing
We work less hard in groups - whole is less than sum of parts. Reasons: diffusion of responsibility, de-motivation, worry about being a sucker, effort matching
Bystander effect
Likelihood of any given person helping is inversely related to the number of people present - the less likely an individual will want to take responsibility for group’s action or inaction. Conformity - if others don’t respond, there must be a reason.
