Textbook Review Flashcards
(117 cards)
1
Q
In Psych, Shawn assumes that Gus is late to a case because he doesn’t care about their work together, but it turns out Gus was simply stuck in traffic.
A
Fundamental Attribution Error: A tendency to attribute others’ behavior to internal characteristics (e.g., personality), rather than considering external situational factors.
Shawn makes a fundamental attribution error by assuming Gus’s lateness is due to his lack of interest in the case, when in fact, it was due to external circumstances (traffic).
2
Q
In Gilmore Girls, Rory’s assumptions about how poorly her school day will go cause her to act negatively, making it harder for her to make connections at school and reinforcing her bad mood.
A
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: A psychological phenomenon where a person’s beliefs or expectations about a situation lead them to act in ways that make those beliefs come true.
Rory’s belief that her day will be bad leads her to behave in ways (e.g., being rude) that ultimately make the day go poorly.
3
Q
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen often adjusts his behavior based on the situation he’s in, carefully considering how others will interpret his actions in order to achieve his goals.
A
Construals: The way people perceive, comprehend, and interpret the social world around them.
Michael Westen construes situations by interpreting the intentions and motivations of others to craft a strategy that will allow him to succeed, showing how construals influence behavior.
4
Q
In Bones, Dr. Brennan examines the skeletal remains of a murder victim. She finds that certain patterns of injuries suggest specific behaviors that are common in humans across cultures.
A
Evolutionary Psychology: A theoretical approach that explains social behavior in terms of evolutionary processes, including natural selection.
Dr. Brennan’s analysis draws on evolutionary psychology, noting that certain behaviors, such as the way humans engage in conflict, have evolutionary roots that can be identified through physical evidence.
5
Q
In Community, when Troy and Abed get caught up in their imaginary games, they often make irrational decisions based on their overconfidence in the game’s rules and their own abilities.
A
Automatic Processing: The mental process of handling information quickly and effortlessly, often without conscious awareness.
Troy and Abed’s decisions are often based on automatic processing, where they act on impulse or intuition without fully considering the consequences.
6
Q
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane uses his observation of people’s subtle facial expressions to deduce their emotions, even when they try to hide them.
A
Emotional Mimicry: The unconscious or conscious copying of another person’s emotional expressions.
Patrick Jane’s ability to interpret emotions by observing and mimicking facial expressions is an example of emotional mimicry, which helps him understand how others are feeling, even when they’re trying to hide it.
7
Q
In Phineas and Ferb, Ferb quietly watches as Phineas leads a grand scheme, knowing that Phineas enjoys the spotlight and doesn’t need any attention himself.
A
Individualistic Cultures: Cultures that emphasize individual achievements and personal goals.
Ferb’s passive participation in the schemes contrasts with individualistic culture values, where Phineas thrives in the spotlight, emphasizing personal achievement over group harmony.
8
Q
In Bones, Dr. Brennan considers the cultural background and history of an individual while interpreting their remains. This shows how biology and culture influence behavior.
A
Cross-Cultural Human Behavior: The study of behaviors that are present across different cultures and societies, often considered in the context of evolutionary psychology.
Dr. Brennan’s analysis of the remains takes into account the person’s cultural and evolutionary background, demonstrating how certain behaviors transcend cultural boundaries.
9
Q
Rory is preparing for a big debate competition. She evaluates the competition as extremely challenging and believes she isn’t prepared enough to succeed, causing her to feel anxious and doubt her abilities. What concept does this demonstrate?
A
Cognitive Appraisal: The process by which an individual evaluates and interprets a situation, often influencing their emotional response.
Rory’s feelings of doubt about her future are the result of a cognitive appraisal, where she perceives the situation as threatening to her sense of self, causing anxiety and self-doubt.
10
Q
In Community, Jeff Winger uses sarcasm and humor to hide his insecurities about his future and relationships with others.
A
Coping Mechanism: A strategy or behavior that helps an individual deal with stress, emotions, or difficult situations.
Jeff’s use of sarcasm serves as a coping mechanism to mask his insecurities, particularly about his academic career and relationships with others.
11
Q
In New Girl, Schmidt is constantly worried about how others perceive him, and does everything he can to appear as appealing as possible.
A
Self-Presentation Theory: The idea that people manage the impressions others have of them to create a desired social image.
Schmidt’s exaggerated actions are attempts to present himself as successful and confident, despite his internal feelings of inadequacy.
12
Q
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen is able to bond with his colleagues through shared emotional experiences, which brings them closer together.
A
Social Functional Theory: The idea that emotions help people form and maintain social bonds and navigate social environments.
Michael uses emotions to foster bonds with his colleagues, recognizing the importance of emotional connections for maintaining strong and effective partnerships.
13
Q
In Bones, Dr. Brennan experiences frustration when her assumptions about a case are challenged, but ultimately she learns to adjust her thinking when presented with new evidence.
A
Theories of Emotion: The different perspectives on how emotions arise, such as the James-Lange Theory or Cannon-Bard Theory.
Dr. Brennan’s shift in emotion based on new information illustrates how emotional responses can change with cognitive processing, a concept central to the study of emotional theories.
14
Q
In Phineas and Ferb, the boys’ happiness and excitement about their inventions often lead to creative ideas that inspire others around them, showing how emotions can shape thought processes.
A
Broaden-and-Build Hypothesis: The idea that positive emotions broaden our thinking and help build resources for future challenges.
Phineas and Ferb’s excitement leads them to come up with inventive ideas that inspire others, demonstrating how positive emotions can enhance creativity and problem-solving.
15
Q
In Bones, Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth often discuss the importance of scientific methods in solving crimes, contrasting their beliefs with intuitive judgments. Why is it dangerous to rely on casual observations in understanding social behavior?
A
Folk Theories vs. Social Psychological Theories: Folk theories are informal, everyday explanations of social behavior based on personal experience or intuition, while social psychological theories are systematically tested through research.
Dr. Brennan’s scientific approach contrasts with Booth’s more intuitive one, emphasizing the potential danger of relying on folk theories. Without rigorous testing and evidence, we can easily fall into the trap of confirmation bias or hindsight bias, which lead to inaccurate or biased conclusions about human behavior.
16
Q
In Psych, Shawn Spencer frequently jumps to conclusions and then retroactively justifies his actions when solving crimes. Which bias might explain his behavior?
A
Hindsight Bias: The tendency to believe, after the fact, that an event was predictable, even if there was no clear way of foreseeing it at the time.
Shawn often looks back at a case and convinces himself that the solution was obvious, even though it wasn’t clear in the moment. This is an example of hindsight bias, where he retrospectively reconstructs his understanding of an event.
17
Q
In New Girl, Schmidt tends to believe that his social media posts will always go viral because of his “awesome” personality. If one of his posts does not go viral, he ignores it, continually insisting that his profile is very popular. What bias does Schmidt demonstrate?
A
Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, and favor information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs.
Schmidt’s belief in his inevitable success leads him to focus on any positive feedback, ignoring potential signs of failure, thus reinforcing his existing belief that his posts will always be successful.
18
Q
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai is always skeptical of theories she hasn’t personally tested, preferring her own observations and experiences to more formal research. What does this illustrate about the scientific method?
A
Scientific Method: A systematic, evidence-based process for acquiring knowledge that involves making observations, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and analyzing results.
Lorelai’s skepticism reflects a common misunderstanding of the scientific method, where casual observations and personal experiences are often not enough to draw reliable conclusions. Scientific theories require rigorous testing and replication, not just individual perspectives.
19
Q
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen has to use observational research to gather intelligence about his targets. What is the role of observational research, and why is it useful?
A
Observational Research: A research method in which a researcher systematically observes and records behavior without manipulating the environment.
Michael uses observational research by watching suspects to gather information. This method helps researchers understand natural behavior in real-life settings, without intervention, allowing for more authentic data.
20
Q
In Community, the characters are frequently shown looking through old yearbooks to solve mysteries or reconnect with the past. What type of research does this represent?
A
Archival Research: A research method that involves analyzing existing records or data to investigate a research question.
In Community, the characters’ exploration of yearbooks for clues is an example of archival research, where existing documents or records are used to understand past events or behaviors.
21
Q
In Psych, Shawn often surveys people around town to get information about a case. How does a survey function in research?
A
Surveys: A method of gathering data through questionnaires or interviews to assess attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a group.
Shawn uses surveys by interviewing townspeople to collect information about a case, which is similar to how researchers use surveys to gather data from a sample population to make generalizations about a larger group.
22
Q
In Bones, Dr. Brennan uses a correlation between the victim’s age and the type of injury to make a hypothesis about the crime. How does correlational research work, and why can it not establish causation?
A
Correlational Research: A research design used to examine the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them.
Dr. Brennan finds a relationship between the victim’s age and injury type, but she cannot conclude that age causes the injury. Correlation shows a relationship, but not causation, because there may be other underlying factors at play.
23
Q
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane sets up an experiment to see if his manipulation of a suspect’s behavior can influence their actions. What type of research design is Jane using?
A
Experimental Design: A research method in which researchers manipulate one or more independent variables to observe their effect on a dependent variable.
Jane is using an experimental design, where he manipulates the suspect’s actions (independent variable) to see how it affects their behavior (dependent variable), which allows for causal conclusions to be drawn.
24
Q
In Bones, Dr. Brennan often measures the impact of different variables like location or victim background on crime outcomes. What are manipulated and measured variables in an experiment?
A
Manipulated vs. Measured Variables: In an experiment, manipulated variables (independent variables) are purposely changed by the researcher, while measured variables (dependent variables) are observed and measured to see how they are affected by the manipulation.
Dr. Brennan might manipulate a variable, such as the type of injury (independent), and measure its impact on solving the case (dependent).
25
In Psych, Shawn often uses a control group to see how a new technique works. Why is a control condition important in an experiment?
Control Condition: A condition in an experiment where participants are not exposed to the experimental treatment, allowing researchers to compare the experimental results with baseline behavior.
In Psych, Shawn’s use of a control group helps him measure whether the new technique actually improves outcomes or if the results were due to other factors.
26
In Phineas and Ferb, the characters conduct experiments to test their wild inventions. What are the advantages of using experiments in research?
Advantages of Experiments: Experiments allow researchers to control variables, manipulate independent variables, and establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Phineas and Ferb use experiments to test their inventions and determine if they will work as expected. This allows them to identify cause-and-effect relationships between the variables they manipulate, ensuring their inventions function as intended.
27
In Community, Abed often conducts research on cultural phenomena by observing people in their natural environment. What is a natural experiment?
Natural Experiment: A type of experiment in which natural events or conditions are used to study the impact of variables without the researcher’s direct manipulation.
Abed’s research is an example of a natural experiment, where he observes natural phenomena or behaviors without intervening, allowing him to explore how real-world conditions influence outcomes.
28
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai's spontaneous decisions often lead her to wonder if her choices are being influenced by her social group. How can a minority opinion affect a majority decision?
Minority Influence: A situation where a smaller group or individual can influence the majority opinion, often by presenting strong, consistent arguments.
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai's independent decisions, like her unconventional career path, influence the community around her, showing how minority views can shape or challenge the majority’s choices.
29
In Bones, Dr. Brennan uses a "foot-in-the-door" approach when she encourages the police to accept a small request before asking for a larger one. What is this technique?
Foot-in-the-Door Technique: A compliance method in which a small request is made first, followed by a larger request.
Dr. Brennan uses this technique by first asking for a small favor (such as a piece of evidence) before requesting something larger (such as the full cooperation of the police). This technique works because the person has already agreed to a small request and is more likely to agree to a larger one.
30
In Bones, Dr. Brennan constantly relies on her logical and scientific expertise to form conclusions, but she sometimes disregards emotional or social aspects that others take into account. How does this illustrate the concept of self-schemas?
Self-Schemas: A mental structure that organizes information about the self, based on past experiences and knowledge, and guides how we perceive ourselves and react to new situations.
Dr. Brennan's self-schema revolves around her identity as a scientist, which leads her to focus solely on logical evidence, sometimes ignoring social and emotional factors. This impacts her interactions with others, as she views herself primarily through the lens of reason and often struggles with more subjective, social aspects of her life.
31
In Gilmore Girls, Rory sometimes feels differently about herself when she’s with different people. For instance, when she’s around her mother, she may feel more confident, but in the presence of her peers at Yale, she feels insecure. How does this illustrate the concept of the working self-concept?
Working Self-Concept: The self-concept that is activated in a given context, which may change depending on the social situation or environment.
Rory’s sense of self changes depending on her context. When she is with her mother, she feels supported and more confident. However, in the competitive environment of Yale, her self-concept shifts, and she feels more insecure due to the pressure and comparison with her peers.
32
In Psych, Shawn constantly identifies as a "psychic" to get himself out of tricky situations, even though he’s aware he’s just using observational skills. How does this behavior relate to the concept of the spontaneous self-concept, and how does McGuire and Padawer-Singer's (1976) study support this?
Spontaneous Self-Concept: The self-concept that emerges in response to immediate, unplanned situations, highlighting aspects of the self that are relevant to the moment.
Shawn’s spontaneous self-concept shifts based on the situation. In the heat of the moment, when he needs to impress or deceive others, he calls himself a “psychic” to play into the immediate role he thinks is needed. McGuire and Padawer-Singer's (1976) study showed that people's self-concept can change depending on what is most relevant to their current environment, similar to how Shawn’s self-concept adapts to different situations.
33
In Community, Abed is constantly self-aware and analyzes how he fits into various social scenarios. How does this illustrate how well we know ourselves versus how well others know us?
Self-Knowledge vs. Other-Knowledge: Research suggests that we often know ourselves better in some ways (such as our internal thoughts) but are sometimes unaware of how others perceive us, which can lead to differing perceptions of the self.
Abed is very aware of his behaviors and how they align with his unique personality, but the other members of the study group have a more limited understanding of him. While they may see him as quirky or strange, Abed has a deeper self-awareness of why he acts the way he does, demonstrating how others’ perceptions of us can differ from our own self-knowledge.
34
In New Girl, Jess has a high self-esteem, even when her relationships are not going well. How does this illustrate the concept of self-esteem?
Self-Esteem: The overall evaluation of oneself, including feelings of self-worth and self-respect.
Jess’s high self-esteem allows her to maintain a positive outlook on herself, even in difficult circumstances like troubled relationships. Her ability to see her value, regardless of external situations, shows how self-esteem is a reflection of how we view ourselves, independent of the validation or approval from others.
35
In Burn Notice, Michael tries to avoid situations that could hurt his pride, like taking on missions that could end in failure. How does this demonstrate the contingencies of self-worth model?
Contingencies of Self-Worth: The idea that people’s self-esteem is influenced by how well they perform in certain domains, such as social approval or academic success.
Michael’s self-worth is closely tied to his success in completing missions and maintaining control over his life. He avoids failure because his self-esteem is contingent on his ability to succeed, particularly in situations where his professional identity is at stake.
36
In Bones, Angela always strives to be seen as a kind and compassionate person. She often takes on cases that require emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. How does this illustrate the motivation of self-enhancement?
Self-Enhancement Motive: The drive to maintain and increase one’s self-esteem by portraying oneself in a positive light.
Angela’s self-enhancement motivation is reflected in her efforts to be perceived as compassionate and understanding. She works hard to ensure that others see her as a caring person, which bolsters her self-esteem and supports her identity.
37
In Phineas and Ferb, Phineas often asserts that he’s good at everything, from building roller coasters to solving problems. How does this demonstrate the better-than-average effect?
Better-Than-Average Effect: The tendency for people to perceive themselves as above average in many areas, even in comparison to others.
Phineas consistently believes that he is exceptional at everything, from inventing to problem-solving. His tendency to view himself as better than average, regardless of the actual difficulty or skill required, reflects the better-than-average effect, where individuals overestimate their abilities compared to others.
38
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane constantly seeks validation of his ability to solve crimes through his unique observation skills. How does this relate to the concept of self-verification?
Self-Verification: The motivation to confirm and maintain one’s self-concept by seeking feedback that is consistent with one's established identity.
Patrick Jane’s actions reflect his self-verification motivation—he seeks validation that aligns with his self-concept as a skilled investigator. By solving crimes, he confirms his belief that he is a uniquely gifted individual, and this feedback reinforces his identity.
39
In Community, Jeff Winger often engages in self-handicapping by making excuses or acting as though he's not fully committed to challenges. How does this illustrate a strategy for self-enhancement?
Self-Handicapping: A strategy in which individuals create obstacles or make excuses in advance to protect their self-esteem in case of failure.
Jeff Winger often uses self-handicapping to protect his image. By acting nonchalant or making excuses for his lack of effort, he ensures that if he fails, he can attribute it to external factors rather than a lack of ability, thereby protecting his self-esteem.
40
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai constantly works hard to maintain her independence and avoid being seen as dependent on others. How does this illustrate self-presentation and the concept of face?
Self-Presentation: The process of controlling how others perceive us through behaviors and actions.
Face: The image of the self that people present to others in social interactions, which can be managed or threatened by external feedback.
Lorelai is focused on maintaining a "face" of independence, especially when interacting with her parents or other authority figures. She is careful not to appear dependent or needy, even when she may struggle privately, reflecting her self-presentation efforts to maintain a specific image in the eyes of others.
41
In Psych, Shawn often changes his behavior based on the person he is talking to, adapting his mannerisms and speech to suit different social situations. How does this relate to self-regulation?
Self-Regulation: The ability to control one’s behavior, emotions, and thoughts in pursuit of long-term goals or in response to immediate social demands.
Shawn’s ability to change his behavior based on the social context is an example of self-regulation. He adjusts his actions and speech to fit in with different social environments, such as when he acts more serious with law enforcement or more humorous with his friends, depending on the situation.
42
In The Mentalist, Jane uses his charm and wit to manipulate people into revealing information. How does this show how culture contributes to one’s sense of self?
Culture and Self: Culture plays a significant role in shaping an individual’s self-concept by influencing values, behaviors, and expectations.
Patrick Jane’s self-concept is influenced by his upbringing in a culture that values cleverness, manipulation, and social finesse. His ability to use charm and wit is a direct result of his cultural influences, which shaped his sense of self as someone who can control social interactions.
43
A student at Greendale Community College, who's a part of the “Human Beings” study group, assumes that all jocks are unintelligent based on stereotypes of popular college athletes.
Stereotyping: A cognitive process in which people make assumptions about others based on group membership, often oversimplifying complex individual traits.
This student is stereotyping the jocks by assuming they are all unintelligent based on a broader cultural stereotype, which does not take into account the individuality of the people involved. Stereotypes can be positive, negative, or neutral, but they often lead to prejudice and discrimination.
44
In Bones, the team is solving a case where the victim is part of a religious minority. Angela and Brennan have differing reactions. Brennan has a bias due to her personal scientific values, while Angela feels empathy because she shares some cultural aspects with the victim's community.
Prejudice: An attitudinal response toward a group or its members, which may manifest as positive or negative emotions.
In this case, Brennan may have negative feelings toward the victim’s group based on her own beliefs, whereas Angela’s empathy could be seen as a positive prejudice. Prejudice may be based on group affiliation rather than individual characteristics.
45
In Community, during a heated debate, Troy makes a derogatory comment about the Greendale mascot, unintentionally revealing his bias against students of a particular ethnic background.
Discrimination: Actions or behaviors that favor one group over another, based on group membership rather than individual qualities.
Troy’s actions toward the mascot can be considered discriminatory if he treats members of a group unfairly because of stereotypes or prejudices against them, even if the discrimination is unintentional.
46
Phineas and Ferb design an invention to address a problem in Danville, but a group of scientists in another town refuses to consider their idea, believing the kids are too young to have valuable insights.
Ingroup Favoritism: The tendency to favor members of one’s own group over those from other groups.
In this case, the scientists are showing ingroup favoritism by dismissing Phineas and Ferb’s idea because they belong to a different group (young inventors) and favor their own group’s expertise.
47
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen struggles with his personal biases when asked to work with a former rival, but he knows it’s essential to accomplish their mutual mission.
Modern Racism: A form of prejudice where individuals hold egalitarian values but still harbor unacknowledged negative feelings or attitudes toward a group.
Michael may act according to his egalitarian values but still experience discomfort or suspicion toward his rival because of implicit biases, reflecting modern racism.
48
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane is called in to help investigate a crime involving a wealthy family. He struggles to separate his assumptions about the family’s wealth from his understanding of their potential guilt.
Implicit Bias: Attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions unconsciously.
Jane’s initial assumptions about the wealthy family might be influenced by implicit biases, which can impact how he interprets evidence or suspects individuals, without his conscious awareness.
49
In Gilmore Girls, when Rory goes for a scholarship interview, her interviewer is more critical of her because of her background, despite her qualifications.
Prejudice is a preconceived opinion or judgment about someone based on their group membership, such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics, often without sufficient evidence or personal experience. It involves negative attitudes or stereotypes that lead to unfair treatment or discrimination.
In this situation, the interviewer is being more critical of Rory due to her background, despite her qualifications. This reflects prejudice because the interviewer is making a judgment about Rory based on her perceived social class or background, rather than assessing her abilities and qualifications. The interviewer’s bias toward Rory’s background leads to unfair evaluation, which is a form of prejudice based on social or class stereotypes.
50
In Psych, Shawn’s use of quick wit and sarcastic remarks sometimes causes people to think he’s arrogant, even though he’s just being playful and testing his observational skills.
Priming: The process by which exposure to a stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, often without conscious awareness.
Shawn’s previous behavior primes people to interpret his actions as arrogant, even though he’s not intending to be, showing how priming can influence judgments of others.
51
In Community, a new student, who doesn’t fit into any particular clique, is treated with suspicion by others.
The Minimal Group Paradigm: A concept from social psychology that shows how even minimal or arbitrary group distinctions can lead to ingroup favoritism and discrimination.
The new student’s lack of group affiliation creates an "outgroup" status, leading to bias against them, even though there are no substantial differences between the groups.
52
In Bones, a suspect from a lower-income background is treated with less respect by the law enforcement officers, despite the fact that they may be innocent.
Realistic Group Conflict Theory: The theory that prejudice arises when groups compete for scarce resources, leading to intergroup hostility.
The officers’ bias against the suspect can be viewed through the lens of Realistic Group Conflict Theory, where competition for resources (in this case, the limited resources of time and manpower in a case) exacerbates intergroup conflict.
53
In New Girl, Nick, Jess, and Schmidt each claim to be the funniest person in their friend group, each elevating their status by diminishing the others’ contributions.
Social Identity Theory: A theory suggesting that individuals derive part of their self-esteem from the groups they belong to and seek to enhance their group’s status.
In this case, Nick, Jess, and Schmidt’s competition for status within their group reflects how group membership can affect self-esteem, as each tries to prove their superiority within the social circle.
54
In The Mentalist, a police officer prefers to work with agents from his own district, because he believes their methods are the most effective, even though other agents may have better solutions.
Basking in Reflected Glory: The tendency to associate with successful groups to enhance one’s own self-esteem.
The officer’s loyalty to his district is an example of basking in reflected glory, where his identity is tied to the success of his group, elevating his own status through association.
55
In Gilmore Girls, Paris constantly feels the need to prove she is better than her peers at Chilton, often looking down on those who are from less wealthy families.
Ethnocentrism: The tendency to view one’s own group as superior to others and to use one's own culture as a standard for judging other cultures.
Paris’s behavior reflects ethnocentrism, where she evaluates others based on the standards of her own social group, elevating her own perceived superiority over others.
56
In Burn Notice, Michael has to partner with a former foe for a mission, but he struggles with trusting them. This distrust is alleviated over time as the two of them work together to complete their mission.
Superordinate Goals: Goals that require cooperation between groups to achieve, which can reduce intergroup conflict.
In this case, Michael and his former foe are working together to achieve a superordinate goal, which, despite their previous rivalry, helps them to cooperate and reduce their conflict.
57
In Phineas and Ferb, Isabella wants to join a competition, but the judges initially dismiss her skills because they assume she’s too sweet and delicate to excel. Later, she proves them wrong and wins the competition.
Benevolent Sexism: A type of bias that involves positive stereotypes about women, such as being nurturing or delicate, but can still limit opportunities.
The judges’ initial dismissal of Isabella’s skills reflects benevolent sexism, as they underestimated her abilities based on stereotypical assumptions about her gender.
58
In Community, the characters often have to work together on projects despite differences in background. What role does the concept of "contact hypothesis" play in improving their interactions?
Contact Hypothesis: Prejudice can be reduced if members of different groups are in frequent contact with each other, but it is most effective when specific conditions are met.
In Community, when the characters of different backgrounds (like Shirley and Pierce) work together, they can reduce their prejudices if certain conditions are met—such as equal status, shared goals, and community support. These interactions help break down stereotypes and build stronger relationships.
59
How might Rory Gilmore's experience at Chilton represent the role of "individual approaches to prejudice reduction"?
Individual Approaches to Prejudice Reduction: These involve personal efforts to reduce prejudice, often through perspective-taking or emotional training, such as loving-kindness meditation.
Rory, by being open to other students at Chilton despite initial stereotypes, might reduce her own biases over time. She could benefit from efforts like perspective-taking, allowing her to see her classmates as individuals rather than judging them by their social group.
60
In Phineas and Ferb, the boys and their friends often team up with villains to achieve common goals. What does this scenario illustrate about "superordinate goals" and prejudice reduction?
Superordinate Goals: These are goals that require cooperation between different groups, which can help reduce prejudice between them.
When Phineas and Ferb work with characters like Dr. Doofenshmirtz, despite their differences, they demonstrate how working together toward a common goal can reduce prejudice. These shared goals promote teamwork, breaking down barriers between groups that might otherwise be at odds.
61
In Bones, Brennan often has trouble connecting emotionally with others. How could "cognitive and emotional training" improve her social interactions?
Cognitive and Emotional Training: Techniques like perspective-taking and loving-kindness meditation can help individuals better understand others' emotions and experiences.
For Brennan, practicing perspective-taking or engaging in loving-kindness meditation could help her understand the emotions of her team members, reducing her emotional distance and fostering better interpersonal relationships.
62
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen faces situations where people from different backgrounds must work together to achieve a goal. What concept does this represent in intergroup prejudice reduction?
Intergroup Approaches to Prejudice Reduction: Prejudice can be reduced when groups interact under conditions such as equal status, shared goals, and support.
When Michael and his diverse team work together to achieve common goals, they show how intergroup cooperation can break down prejudices. Their shared objectives foster a sense of unity and equal status despite their differences.
63
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Rory often face tension with their wealthy relatives. How does "multiculturalism" relate to this dynamic?
Multiculturalism: This approach emphasizes recognizing and appreciating cultural and ethnic differences.
Lorelai and Rory's relationship with Emily and Richard Gilmore can be seen as an example of multiculturalism—acknowledging and respecting the differences between their family’s working-class lifestyle and the more traditional, wealth-oriented world of their grandparents. However, it also highlights how these differences can cause tension and feelings of exclusion.
64
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane often tries to understand people's motivations. How might his ability to see things from others' perspectives be related to "perspective-taking" as a prejudice reduction technique?
Perspective-Taking: This is an emotional training technique that involves trying to understand the feelings and viewpoints of others, which can reduce prejudice.
Patrick Jane’s skill at reading people and empathizing with their motives shows how perspective-taking can help reduce prejudice. By putting himself in others’ shoes, he can bridge gaps in understanding and foster more harmonious interactions.
65
In Psych, Shawn and Gus frequently make jokes based on stereotypes, but their friendship highlights a key concept in prejudice reduction. What is that concept?
Personalization: This concept occurs when individuals from different groups see each other as individuals, not as stereotyped members of a social category.
Shawn and Gus break down stereotypes by seeing each other as individuals, not as representatives of their respective cultural backgrounds. Their deep friendship demonstrates how personalization can reduce prejudice.
66
In Community, characters from diverse backgrounds like Troy and Abed often work together. How does this scenario relate to "shared goals" in prejudice reduction?
Shared Goals: Prejudice reduction is more likely when different groups work together to achieve a common objective.
In Community, Troy and Abed’s collaboration on various projects shows the power of shared goals. Their teamwork helps reduce biases by allowing them to focus on the task at hand rather than their differences.
67
In Bones, the team often works across cultural and social lines. How does "institutional discrimination" play a role in shaping their experiences?
Institutional Discrimination: This refers to systemic biases embedded in societal laws, norms, and institutions that preserve social hierarchies.
The Bones team, as part of the FBI and other institutions, may face institutional discrimination in terms of who gets hired, promoted, or included in projects. This type of discrimination is often subtle and embedded in institutional practices, affecting the team’s dynamics.
68
In New Girl, Schmidt's awkwardness around Cece because of her background highlights the potential issues with what kind of diversity approach?
Colorblindness: This approach downplays or ignores cultural and ethnic differences, treating everyone as individuals.
Schmidt’s behavior toward Cece shows a colorblind approach, where he tries to act as if her cultural background doesn’t matter. While this may seem like he’s being inclusive, it can lead to misunderstandings because it ignores important parts of her identity and experiences. By overlooking her background, Schmidt risks unintentionally reinforcing subtle biases and missing opportunities to truly understand and connect with her on a deeper level.
69
In Burn Notice, the concept of "hierarchy" plays a role in how characters are treated. What is the role of "social dominance theory" in understanding this dynamic?
Social Dominance Theory explains how societies are structured into hierarchies, with dominant groups maintaining power through discrimination and institutional norms.
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen challenges these hierarchies, facing resistance from powerful groups trying to preserve their dominance. This reflects how power structures work to suppress those who disrupt the status quo.
70
In Phineas and Ferb, the characters face challenges due to the "paternalistic sympathy" associated with marginalized groups. How does this reflect social dominance theory?
Paternalistic Sympathy: This refers to a view of subordinate groups as needing protection, which can be coupled with low competence perceptions, fitting with the lower-status view of such groups in social dominance theory.
In Phineas and Ferb, characters who are perceived as weaker or needing protection (like Perry the Platypus) may face sympathy but are not always treated as competent. This reflects the social dominance theory where lower-status groups are seen as less capable but deserving of care.
71
In Psych, Gus often finds himself in situations where his race is unintentionally highlighted, such as when he’s mistaken for someone else or when assumptions are made about his abilities.
Minority Spotlight Effect: This occurs when the identity of a minority-group member is unintentionally emphasized, leading to discomfort or stereotyping.
Gus’s experiences reflect this as his race becomes a focal point in ways that make him stand out, even when irrelevant to the situation, highlighting how such dynamics can perpetuate subtle biases.
72
In Gilmore Girls, Rory faces challenges with her privilege when interacting with students from different social backgrounds. How does this illustrate "colorblindness" in prejudice reduction?
Colorblindness: This approach ignores or downplays cultural and ethnic differences, treating everyone the same.
In Gilmore Girls, Rory’s initial failure to recognize her privilege leads her to unintentionally apply a colorblind approach, treating others from different backgrounds as if their cultural experiences do not matter. This can lead to misunderstandings and perpetuate inequality.
73
When the U.S. electorate votes based on what they believe about a candidate rather than what is actually true, how does this relate to judgments we make about others?
Self-Perception and Snap Judgments
Concept: Snap judgments occur when we make decisions about others based on very little information, often influenced by biases or perceptions rather than facts.
Explanation: In the case of the U.S. electorate, people's votes are often influenced by their perceptions of candidates, not necessarily based on the candidate's actual record or policies. This is similar to making snap judgments about someone’s character based on brief interactions, as seen in TV shows like Psych, where Shawn often makes assumptions based on minimal clues.
74
In the show Gilmore Girls, Rory may make judgments about her classmates based on their brief interactions, but later realizes that her assumptions were wrong. How does this relate to the partial picture concept in snap judgments?
Partial Picture in Snap Judgments
Concept: Snap judgments often provide an incomplete view of the person or situation.
Explanation: When Rory judges her classmates based on brief encounters, she fails to see the full complexity of their personalities. This is a common pitfall of snap judgments—relying on limited information without considering the broader context.
75
When trying to understand why someone acts a certain way, do you think their behavior is due to internal or external factors, and why?
Causal Attribution
Concept: Causal attribution is determining whether someone's behavior is caused by internal (dispositional) or external (situational) factors.
Explanation: If someone is late for a meeting, you might attribute it to their poor time management (internal) or traffic (external). This decision influences how you judge their behavior. In Burn Notice, Michael often assesses his enemies' actions by weighing their personal motives (internal) versus external pressures.
76
In Bones, Booth and Brennan evaluate suspects based on their actions. How would they determine whether a suspect’s behavior is driven by internal or external causes?
The covariation principle uses consistency (is the behavior repeated?), consensus (do others act the same?), and distinctiveness (is the behavior unique to the situation?) to determine if behavior is caused by internal traits or external circumstances. High consistency, high consensus, and high distinctiveness suggest external causes, while low consensus and distinctiveness suggest internal causes.
If a suspect is consistently aggressive (high consistency), others act aggressively in similar situations (high consensus), and the aggression only happens in specific scenarios (high distinctiveness), the cause is likely external. If others don’t act aggressively (low consensus) and the suspect is aggressive in many contexts (low distinctiveness), the cause is likely internal.
77
When watching Community, you might notice how the characters sometimes make decisions based on what everyone else does. How does this relate to consensus?
Consensus
Concept: Consensus refers to how others behave in the same situation.
Explanation: In Community, if everyone agrees that a certain decision is the best (like choosing a specific class project), it reflects a high consensus. High consensus suggests the situation itself may be more influential than an individual’s personality in determining behavior.
78
If in Phineas and Ferb, Candace thinks the boys’ inventions are outrageous but only those inventions are unique to their lives, how would you explain this in terms of distinctiveness?
Distinctiveness
Concept: Distinctiveness refers to whether someone's reaction is specific to one situation or applies to many.
Explanation: Candace’s reaction is highly distinctive—she only reacts to Phineas and Ferb's inventions, suggesting that her judgment is more about the unique nature of their creations than about her personality.
79
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane often relies on his intuition about people’s actions. How does this align with using heuristics to make quick judgments?
Heuristics
Concept: Heuristics are mental shortcuts used to make quick judgments, often based on patterns or associations.
Explanation: Patrick Jane frequently uses heuristics to make snap decisions about suspects in The Mentalist. He might judge a person’s behavior based on past experiences or common patterns, without needing to analyze every detail.
80
When an error occurs, like in New Girl, and someone imagines a different outcome (e.g., Schmidt imagining a different way of responding to a situation), how does this relate to counterfactual thinking?
Counterfactual Thinking
Concept: Counterfactual thinking involves imagining alternative scenarios or outcomes that did not actually happen.
Explanation: Schmidt often imagines how a situation could have gone better, such as what he would have said or done differently. This is counterfactual thinking, where people consider “what might have been” to better understand the outcome.
81
How would you apply the concept of the Self-Serving Attributional Bias in Burn Notice when Michael tries to explain his successful missions?
Self-Serving Attributional Bias
Concept: The self-serving attributional bias is the tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external ones.
Explanation: Michael often credits his intelligence, skills, or past experiences for his success in missions, but blames external factors, like his enemies or the environment, for any failures. This bias helps maintain his self-esteem.
82
How might the characters in Psych demonstrate the Fundamental Attribution Error when they judge others too quickly?
Fundamental Attribution Error
Concept: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute someone’s actions to their character, rather than considering the situational context.
Explanation: Shawn and Gus often make snap judgments about suspects in Psych, assuming that someone’s odd behavior is a reflection of their personality, rather than considering the context of the situation.
83
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai might judge someone in the community based on their behavior without understanding the situation. How does this connect to the actor-observer difference?
Actor-Observer Difference
Concept: The actor-observer difference is the tendency for people to make situational attributions about their own behavior but dispositional attributions about others’ behavior.
Explanation: Lorelai might judge someone’s rude behavior as a reflection of their personality (dispositional), while she might explain her own similar behavior as being due to external stressors (situational).
84
In Bones, Dr. Brennan might focus on the details of a person’s personality when solving a case, but Booth might look at external factors. How does this illustrate the impact of cultural variation on attribution?
Cultural Variation in Attribution
Concept: Cultural variations influence how people make attributions, with some cultures emphasizing personal responsibility and others focusing more on situational factors.
Explanation: In Bones, Brennan's tendency to focus on personality traits might be influenced by a Western cultural emphasis on individualism, while Booth’s focus on situational factors might reflect a more contextual, collectivist viewpoint.
85
When a TV show character is presented with both positive and negative information about a person, how does the order in which this information is given affect their judgment?
Order Effects
Concept: Order effects refer to how the order in which information is presented influences judgment.
Explanation: In Community, if a character hears good news first and bad news later, they might have a more positive overall impression (primacy effect), while hearing the bad news first could make them focus more on the negative aspects (recency effect).
86
In Gilmore Girls, how does the use of words like “hard-working” versus “lazy” shape how we perceive characters' actions?
Spin Framing
Concept: Spin framing refers to varying the content of information to influence perceptions.
Explanation: When characters in Gilmore Girls describe someone as “hard-working” versus “lazy,” the framing of these terms changes how the audience perceives that person’s behavior, even if the underlying actions are the same.
87
How does the availability heuristic come into play when characters in Burn Notice overestimate the risks of certain threats?
Availability Heuristic
Concept: The availability heuristic is the tendency to judge the probability of an event based on how easily examples come to mind.
Explanation: In Burn Notice, Michael and his team might overestimate the likelihood of certain threats, like enemy ambushes, simply because they have vivid memories of past close calls, even if the actual risk is lower.
88
Shawn from Psych is at a crime scene and instinctively knows the victim was pushed down the stairs, even though there’s no direct evidence. He later explains his reasoning using logical deductions.
Social Intuitionist Model of Moral Judgment: A theory by Jonathan Haidt that suggests moral judgments are driven primarily by quick, emotional intuitions, which are later justified through reasoning.
In Shawn's case, his initial intuition about the crime scene (emotional gut feeling) comes first, followed by the reasoning that supports his conclusion.
89
In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai has a strong belief that her mother, Emily, is being unfair about Rory’s decisions, even though she can't pinpoint exactly why she feels that way.
Moral Dumbfounding: A phenomenon where people hold strong moral convictions without being able to explain why they hold those beliefs.
Lorelei’s reaction to Emily’s decisions is a classic example of moral dumbfounding—she just "knows" something is wrong but can’t explain it logically.
90
In Bones, Dr. Brennan analyzes a case and uses her analytical mind to weigh all the options, arriving at a logical conclusion after much deliberation.
Dual-Process Model of Moral Reasoning: A theory that suggests moral decisions involve two cognitive processes: emotional reactions and more deliberate, rational thought.
Dr. Brennan’s reasoning in the case aligns with the dual-process model. She first may have an emotional reaction, but she uses logic to justify her final decision.
91
In Community, Pierce is caught between standing by his friends and betraying them to get ahead in a college game. He ultimately chooses loyalty to his friends, even though it puts him at a disadvantage.
Ingroup Loyalty: A moral foundation that centers on allegiance to one’s social group, often leading to actions that promote group cohesion.
Pierce’s choice reflects ingroup loyalty—he prioritizes his friends over his personal gain, driven by a sense of loyalty to his group.
92
In New Girl, Schmidt feels deeply embarrassed after his coworkers see his private life exposed, even though his friends tell him not to care.
Moral Foundations Theory suggests that people’s moral judgments are influenced by different foundational values. One of these moral foundations is Authority/Respect, which focuses on the importance of maintaining social hierarchies and adhering to societal structures. This foundation is linked to emotions like respect for authority, deference to social norms, and feelings of embarrassment when these norms are violated.
In Schmidt’s case, his embarrassment reflects the Authority/Respect foundation. He feels the need to uphold his reputation within his social group and avoid breaking social norms. This is because his sense of moral order is influenced by respect for these social hierarchies, and violating them would lead to discomfort, like embarrassment, when his behavior is perceived as disrespectful or out of line with expectations.
93
In Burn Notice, Michael Westen is faced with a moral dilemma: use a potentially dangerous method to accomplish his mission or find a safer, more ethical solution. His gut feeling tells him to go with the former.
Moral Intuition: The immediate emotional response that guides moral judgments, often followed by reasoning to justify that response.
Michael’s decision to use a risky method is driven by moral intuition—his gut feeling tells him it’s the right choice, even if it’s not the safest.
94
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane quickly deduces that a suspect is lying, based on his intuition and body language. He later uses logical reasoning to confirm his suspicions.
Moral Judgment Process: The way moral decisions are often driven by initial, emotional intuitions, followed by reasoning.
Patrick’s decision-making process illustrates how initial intuition (emotional) guides him, and then he justifies it through logic (reasoning).
95
In Phineas and Ferb, the duo designs a new project to help others, but Candace, who is jealous, insists that they are just trying to show off to gain social status.
Social Reward Motive in Altruism: The desire for social esteem or recognition that can motivate people to act altruistically, such as doing good deeds to gain praise.
Candace's jealousy is linked to the social reward motive—she believes Phineas and Ferb are helping others to earn admiration and status.
96
In Bones, Brennan finds herself helping a colleague with personal distress, even though she doesn’t particularly like them, because she feels empathy toward their situation.
Empathic Concern: The emotional state where individuals feel concern for others' welfare and are motivated to help, even at their own expense.
Brennan’s action shows empathic concern—she helps because she feels sympathy for the person’s distress, not for personal gain.
97
In Community, Jeff Winger agrees to volunteer with Annie at school, not out of altruism but because he wants her to think he’s the caring, selfless type.
Social Reward Motive: Jeff’s behavior reflects a desire for positive feedback and social approval. He is motivated by the potential social rewards (e.g., admiration) rather than genuine altruism.
98
In Burn Notice, Michael hesitates to help a stranger because he believes his personal safety might be at risk, and he’s unsure if anyone else will act.
Diffusion of Responsibility: The tendency for people to be less likely to help in an emergency when others are present, assuming that someone else will step in.
Michael’s hesitation is an example of diffusion of responsibility—he assumes that others will act, which decreases his sense of personal responsibility.
99
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane steps forward to help a distressed woman in a busy crowd. The more people show concern, the more confident Jane becomes in acting.
Pluralistic Ignorance: The phenomenon where people in a group fail to act because they assume that no one else sees the situation as an emergency.
In this case, Patrick Jane avoids pluralistic ignorance because he sees others react, which confirms that intervention is needed.
100
In Gilmore Girls, Rory feels she must help a fellow student who is struggling academically because she knows how much it would mean to them, even though it could risk her own time.
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis: The idea that people help others selflessly when they feel empathy for their distress, even at a personal cost.
Rory’s decision to help is an example of empathy-driven altruism—her compassion for the student outweighs the personal cost of her time.
101
In Phineas and Ferb, the boys design a new project for the benefit of the community, but they struggle with whether their invention will be accepted because their peers have different expectations of what is "good" or "helpful."
Cultural Influence on Altruism: The impact of cultural norms and values on whether people act altruistically or how they define helping behavior.
Phineas and Ferb’s project illustrates how different cultural expectations can shape what is considered altruistic or helpful, based on community norms.
102
In New Girl, Jess sees someone drop their wallet in the park but hesitates to help, unsure of the person’s background and whether they would appreciate her intervention.
Victim Characteristics in Altruism: The idea that people are more likely to help individuals who they perceive as similar to themselves or who are clearly in need.
Jess’s hesitation reflects victim characteristics—she is unsure whether the person is someone she would normally assist, influenced by her perceptions of similarity and need.
103
In the TV show Community, Jeff Winger makes a snap judgment about his new class at Greendale, thinking it’s a waste of time before he even gets to know anyone. How does this relate to the accuracy of snap judgments?
Snap Judgments: Quick, often unconscious judgments made about others based on brief exposure to their appearance or behavior.
In this case, Jeff's snap judgment about the class may be inaccurate. Research shows that while brief impressions can sometimes be correct, they often only capture a partial picture. Jeff’s opinion might change once he interacts more with the class and learns more about the people and environment.
104
In Phineas and Ferb, Candace often judges her brothers’ wild inventions as irresponsible, even before understanding them. How does this relate to the construal principle?
Construal Principle: Our judgments are influenced by the meaning we assign to behavior, whether it's our own or someone else's.
Candace’s negative judgment about her brothers’ inventions is influenced by the meaning she assigns to their actions. Her interpretation of their behavior (irresponsible) shapes her reaction, even though the actual outcome may not align with her expectations.
105
In Bones, Dr. Brennan is assessing the behavior of a suspect in a murder case. She wonders if the person’s actions were influenced more by their personality or the situation. What type of attribution is she considering?
Causal Attribution: The process of determining whether someone’s behavior is due to internal (dispositional) or external (situational) causes.
Dr. Brennan is deciding if the suspect’s actions are driven by their personality (dispositional) or by the situation they were in (situational), which influences how she interprets their behavior.
106
In Gilmore Girls, Rory often attributes her good grades to her hard work, while blaming poor grades on the difficulty of a class or personal issues. What type of bias is this?
Self-Serving Attributional Bias: The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors (e.g., ability or effort) and failures to external factors (e.g., the difficulty of the task).
Rory’s tendency to blame poor grades on external factors while attributing good grades to her own efforts demonstrates the self-serving bias.
107
In Burn Notice, Michael Weston assesses whether the outcome of a mission was due to his skill or bad luck. He wonders whether the same result would have occurred if he had used different tactics. What type of thinking is Michael engaging in?
Counterfactual Thinking: The process of imagining alternative scenarios or outcomes, often by asking “what if” questions.
Michael is considering how the mission might have gone differently if he had taken different actions, which is an example of counterfactual thinking.
108
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane attributes a suspect’s behavior to their personality rather than considering the influence of the environment. What bias is Patrick Jane exhibiting?
Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to attribute people’s behavior to their character or personality, even when situational factors may be influencing their actions.
Patrick Jane’s focus on the suspect’s personality while overlooking the situation they are in reflects the fundamental attribution error.
109
In New Girl, Nick makes a mistake at work and blames it on the chaotic environment at the bar, while Cece assigns his failure to his own lack of skill. What is this an example of?
Actor-Observer Difference: The tendency for actors (people explaining their own behavior) to make situational attributions, while observers (people explaining others’ behavior) make dispositional attributions.
Nick blames the chaotic environment (a situational cause), while Cece blames his lack of skill (a dispositional cause), showing the actor-observer difference.
110
In Psych, Shawn Spencer quickly assesses a suspect’s behavior and concludes they are guilty based on their nervousness. However, later, he learns that the suspect was just shy. What concept explains Shawn’s initial judgment?
Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to attribute someone's behavior to their character, even when situational factors are influencing their actions.
Shawn's initial judgment of the suspect as guilty based on nervousness reflects the fundamental attribution error, as he ignored potential situational factors like shyness.
111
In Community, when the students at Greendale are divided into groups for a project, the group with the loudest member often dominates the discussion. What is this an example of?
The Salience of People refers to how we tend to focus more on individuals when explaining behavior, especially when those people stand out in some way. This happens because people are more noticeable or memorable than the surrounding context or situation.
In this case, the loudest member is more salient, leading others to attribute the group’s dominance to their personality, even if the situation (group dynamics) may also play a role.
112
In Gilmore Girls, Rory receives compliments on her essays from her professors. She attributes this success to her intelligence, even though her professors may have been particularly lenient that semester. What is this an example of?
Self-Serving Attributional Bias: The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors (e.g., ability) and failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck or leniency).
Rory’s attribution of her success to intelligence rather than external factors like lenient grading is an example of the self-serving bias.
113
In Bones, Dr. Brennan discusses the importance of the context in interpreting human behavior, arguing that people’s actions cannot be understood without considering their environment. What principle does she advocate?
Covariation Principle: The principle that people use consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency to evaluate whether an action is caused by internal or external factors.
Dr. Brennan’s argument about considering context reflects the covariation principle, emphasizing how the situation influences behavior.
114
In Burn Notice, Michael Weston decides to use a risky strategy because he believes the environment will favor it. What type of attribution would this be if he considered his success to be based solely on external circumstances?
Situational Attribution: Attributing behavior or outcomes to external factors such as the environment or context.
Michael's reliance on external factors to explain his risky strategy is an example of a situational attribution.
115
In The Mentalist, Patrick Jane questions whether a suspect’s behavior was due to a personal motive or a reaction to external pressures. What two types of attributions is he considering?
Internal Attribution (Dispositional) vs. External Attribution (Situational): Internal attribution assigns behavior to personal traits or characteristics, while external attribution assigns it to external factors or situations.
Patrick Jane is weighing whether the suspect’s behavior was driven by their personality (internal) or the situation they were in (external).
116
In Phineas and Ferb, the boys’ inventions are often misunderstood by their sister Candace, who judges them harshly based on her beliefs about their actions. What is this an example of?
Construal Principle: The idea that the meaning we assign to behaviors influences our judgments.
Candace’s harsh judgment of her brothers’ inventions reflects how the meaning she assigns to their actions shapes her interpretation, even if the outcome doesn’t justify her beliefs.
117
In New Girl, Schmidt is quick to attribute his success in a work project to his genius, but he dismisses his colleague’s contributions, believing they were just lucky. What bias is Schmidt demonstrating?
Self-Serving Attributional Bias: The tendency to attribute successes to oneself and failures to external factors.
Schmidt's belief that his success is due to his genius while dismissing his colleague's contributions is an example of the self-serving attributional bias.
