PSY2203 Lecture 7: Attribution III, Recent Developments

Question 1

How did Krull challenge The Gilbert Model

Answer 1

Flipped it and showed sometimes situational inferences will be more available. Some perceivers estimated the target’s dispositional anxiety; others estimated the degree of anxiety provoked by the interview questions. Within these conditions, half simultaneously performed a cognitive rehearsal task. Of perceivers who estimated the target’s dispositional anxiety, those who performed the rehearsal task inferred more dispositional anxiety. In contrast, of perceivers who estimated the anxiety provoked by the questions, those who performed the rehearsal task inferred less dispositional anxiety.

Question 2

Talk me through how kids develop social inference strategies

Answer 2

Kids around 5 may not discount certain infomation, even when alternative explanations are available. Children should be able to characterise (automatic process) before they can use additional info to correct inferences.

Sad child study: all age groups (apart from the younger children who were 5) characterised sad-looking child as more dispositionally sad situation couldnt account for it.

Question 3

Why might mindfulness reduce correspondence bias?

Answer 3

“Mindfulness is characterised by a focused, non-evaluative attention to and awareness of the present moment.” (Hopthrow et al., 2016)
It has been shown to enhance various cognitive processes (e.g., attention)
Mindfulness may reduce tendency to overlook situational factors (e.g., stereotype threat; mindless eating behaviours)

Question 4

Describe an empirical example of how mindfulness reduces correspondence bias

Answer 4

Hopthrow et al. (2017)
2 (condition: mindfulness or control) x 2 (essay position: for or against nuclear power)
Told position determined by coin flip
2 questions: “To what extent…
does the writer favour or oppose use of nuclear power?” (CB)
do you favour or oppose use of nuclear power?” (own opinions – used as covariate – it did seem to play a part)
Mindfulness attenuated the CB because difference in ratings in M condition between for and against essay positions was smaller – 3.60 – than difference in C condition – 4.62