Perception, attribution and decision making

Question 1

Theory of Mind

Answer 1

• Attribute mental state to others. Hence suggests an ability to understand that other people’s thoughts and beliefs may be different from our own.
• How other people think.
• Theory  because we don’t know what people are thinking.

Question 2

Attribution Theory:

Answer 2

Attribution Error:
Self serving:
 Tendency to attribute our favorable outcomes to internal factors and our failures to external factors.
 “bad luck is merely a defensive and self consoling synonym for inefficiency’
o Self enhancement - people’s inherent desire to have a positive self concept
• Fundamental attribution error
o The tendency to see the person rather than the situation as the main cause of that person’s behaviour

Question 3

Conformation Bias

Answer 3

• We see what we want to see

* Suits or desires our course of action

Question 4

Halo Effect

Answer 4

• Initial impressions impact subsequent impression
• For example - coming late to an interview

• General impression of a person, usually based on one prominient characteristic, colours our perception of other characteristics of that person.
o “good bloke” “such fun to have a beer with”

Question 5

Anchoring

Answer 5

Using first impressions as a point of reference for subsequent impressions

Question 6

Availability

Answer 6

Leveraging only the information that is available to make a decision

Question 7

Escalation of Commitment

Answer 7

More we commit, the more we are likely to stick with that course of action

Question 8

Non-Decision Making

Answer 8

Rules of thumb, heuristics to make decisions.

Question 9

Double Curse

Answer 9

• Our lack of skill deprives us the ability to recognise our own poor performance.

Question 10

Bounded rationality

Answer 10

• Rationality is limited
• Unable to hold all the information in our minds
• Chose a response that satisfies our minimum standards.
o Make our decision on limited decision making
o Minimum requirements

Question 11

Satisficing

Answer 11

Satisficing vs Rational

• In the absence of complete rationality, decisions are made on a basis of being able to satisfy minimum standards.
• The minimum standards are dictated by the social context (relates to availability)

Question 12

Heuristics

Answer 12

Rule of thumb

e.g. crossing the road

Question 13

Formal decision making

Answer 13

e.g. first look left then look right

Question 14

Experiential decision making

Answer 14

e.g. how fast traffic travels

Question 15

Culturally based decision making rules

Answer 15

Should we observe road rules or jay-walk