Perceiving individuals: systematic processing

Question 1

What is superficial processing in forming impressions?

Answer 1

• first impressions tend to be formed using superficial processing
• initial impressions formed with minimal effort and thought on basis of one or two attributes- such impressions based on assumption that inner characteristics correspond directly to observed behaviour

Question 2

What is systematic processing in forming impressions?

Answer 2

• go beyond first impression, people need to think more deeply
• integrate several attributes - combine ‘algebraically’
• requires two factors: motivation and abiltity

Question 3

What is causal attributions in forming impressions?

Answer 3

• judgements about cause of an event or behaviour
• attributions are most likely to be made to whatever possible cause is salient and draws our attention eg loud voices

Question 4

What is the research demonstrating impact of salience on attribution?

Answer 4

• Taylor and Fiske 1975

Question 5

What did Taylor and Fiske 1975 demonstrate in the impact of salience on attribution?

Answer 5

• 6 pps watched conversation between two people
• arranged seating: each pp had slightly different view of others
• results: attribute greater causal role to person they directly faced
• higher rates re: dominating the interaction and dictating its tone

Question 6

What are the implications of causal attributions in forming impressions?

Answer 6

• implications for court room proceedings: police interrogation tapes
• jurors may watch video tape of confession- video on suspect: may believe confession, video on police: may see coercion

Question 7

What must occur to go beyond first impression?

Answer 7

people must engage in more extensive thought- particularly when trying to explain other behaviours
- Kelly (1967,1973)

Question 8

What did Kelly (1967,1973) demonstrate?

Answer 8

Kelly’s covariation model of attribution: explains how we use social perception to attribute behaviour to internal (personality) vs external (situational) factors

Question 9

What is the covariation model of attribution?

Answer 9

• people are motivated to make causal inferences to explain why other people and ourselves behave in a certain way
• theory assumes we have information from multiple experiences - not automatic
• people decide what attributions to make after considering the consistency, distinctiveness and consensus of a persons behaviour

Question 10

What are the sources of attribution?

Answer 10

• consensus- do other people laugh as well?
• distinctiveness- does minna laugh at other comedians?
• consistency - does minna always laugh at this comedian?

Question 11

What are attributions based on?

Answer 11

covariation

Question 12

What are the conclusions about causes of attribution?

Answer 12

-high consistency, high disctinctivness and high consensus = external attribution
- low consensus, low distinctiveness and high constituency = internal attribution
- low consistency= something about time or circumstances

Question 13

What occurs when using attributions to correct first impressions?

Answer 13

• when external factor appears to have caused behaviour, we may be motivated to correct our first impression of a person
• can discount but requires cognitive effort

Question 14

What is fundamental attribution error?

Answer 14

• biases may still limit accuracy
• tendency to over emphasise internal explanations for behaviour of others, while failing to consider the power of situations is known as fundamental attribution error

Question 15

Why do we make fundamental attribution errors?

Answer 15

• situation isnt salient when people make attributions for behaviour of others
  -BUT- the situation is salient when making attributions for ones own behaviour
• people are more inclined to take situation into account when explaining their own behaviour

Question 16

What happens when using impressions?

Answer 16

• once impression is formed, it used as a basis for decisions and behaviours
• sometimes decisions and first impressions rest on superficial processing
• sometimes decisions about others and first impressions rest on systematic processing

Question 17

How do we defend impressions?

Answer 17

• impressions tend to resist change
• existing impressions shape interpretation of new info in a pattern called primacy effect
  -primacy vs recency
• Asch’s reversal experiment
  -can jurors disregard inadmissible evidence?

Question 18

What is primacy and recency effect?

Answer 18

• primacy- first thing we hear or see
  -recency- latest thing we hear or see

Question 19

What is the self fulfilling prophecy in impressions?

Answer 19

• result of primacy effect- impressions may serve even after exposure to discrediting information, creating a perseverance bias
• the process by which people create impression-consistent behaviour is known as self fulfilling prophecy
  -Rosenthal et al 1968

Question 20

What did Rosenthal et al 1968 demonstrate in self fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 20

• providing teachers with expectations about intellectual ability of students impacts student performance
• students randomly identified as ‘bloomers’- teachers thought ‘bloomer’ designation was a result of students performance on intelligence test
• those identified as ‘bloomers’ did better at end of semester compared to others

Question 21

Is fundamental change possible?

Answer 21

• can change when actively look for change BUT even when impressions change, original representation may still be there (conservatism)

Question 22

What is Kelley’s Attribution theory defined as?

Answer 22

people decide what attributions to make after considering the consistency, distinctiveness and consensus of a persons behaviour

Question 23

What is fundamental attribution error defined as ?

Answer 23

bias in attributing another behaviour more to internal than to situational causes

Question 24

What is superficial processing defined as?

Answer 24

relying on accessible information to make inferences or judgements, while expending little effort in processing

Question 25

What is systematic processing defined as?

Answer 25

giving thorough, effortful consideration to a wide range of information relevant to a judgement

Question 26

What is causal attribution defined as?

Answer 26

a judgement about the cause of a behaviour or other event

Question 27

What is self fulfilling prophecy defined as?

Answer 27

the process by which one persons expectations about another become reality by eliciting behaviours that confirm expectations