Unit 2 Flashcards
What is atributtion?
Attribution is the process of seeking information to understand and explain behavior, allowing us to draw inferences.
What are the goals of attribution?
We seek to understand, explain, and control the behavior of ourselves and others.
What are the two main theories of attribution?
The Theory of correspondent inference and the covarition theory
What does the Theory of Correspondent inference focus on?
It suggests that we infer traits from a person’s behavior, especially when actions are informative, freely chosen, have noncommon effects, and deviate from desirability.
What is the central question in the covoration Theory?
Does behavior stem from a internal (dispositional) or external (situational) cause?
What are the three types of information use to determine if a behavior stem from internal or external cause?
Consensus, consistency, distinctiveness
Define consensus in the context of the Covarition theory?
The extent to which other people react to a stimulus or event in the same way as the person being evaluated
Define consistency in the context of the Covarition theory
The extent to which the person reacts to the stimulus or event in the same way on different occasions over time.
Define distinctiveness in the context of the Covariation theory
The extent to which the person reacts in the same way to other similar but different events or stimuli (if the event is unique or distinct)
What attribution is likely if there is low consensus, high consistency and low distinctivenss?
Internal attribution
What attribution is likely is low consensus, high consistency and low distinctveness?
External
Apart from internal VS externsl causes, what other dimensions are considered in attribution?
Stable (e.g. personality traits) VS Unstable (e.g. motivation); Controllable VS Uncontrollable
What are fate attributions ?
They attribute events to a single, essential reason, rather than considering complex causalities.
