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Attribution. 2/4/2104 Learning Outcomes. SC.2.A. Describe the role of situational and dispositional factors in explaining behaviour . SC.2.B. Discuss two errors in attributions. Social Cognition. How we process information in a social world.
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2/4/2104 Learning Outcomes • SC.2.A. Describe the role of situational and dispositional factors in explaining behaviour. • SC.2.B. Discuss two errors in attributions
Social Cognition • How we process information in a social world. • We take information in, make quick judgments, and behave according to those decisions. • What are some strengths and weaknesses of this?
Attribution • The process of interpreting and explaining the causes of behaviors and events in the social world. • How we decide why a person does what they do. • Humans have a need to understand why something happens. • We do this all the time!
Try this… • How do you attribute The Bieb’s latest tirades?
Situational vs. Dispositional Situational Dispositional Internal characteristics cause people to act the way they do. Example: I ran a bad race because I didn’t train over the summer. • External environments cause people to act the way they do. • Example: I ran a bad race because it was too hot.
Your Instructions: Group A • Image that you got a speeding ticket driving to school. Explain why this might have happened.
Your Instructions: Group B • Image a classmate of yours gets a speeding ticket while driving to school. Explain why this might have happened.
Actor-Observed Effect • People tend to make an attribution about behavior depending on whether they are performing the it themselves or observing somebody else do it. • Behavior of self: Situational Factors • Behavior of others: Dispositional Factors • Do we agree with this idea?
Errors in Attribution • We make mistakes with our attributions all the time! • How can this impact our lives? • SC.2.B. Discuss two errors in attributions
Error of Attribution #1:Fundamental Attribution Error • When people underestimate the role of dispositional factors in an individual’s behaviors and underestimate situational factors.
Our Game Show • Who did you score as being more intelligent? Why did you do this?
Ross et al. (1977) • Created an experiment where participants were either assigned the role of host, contestant, or audience member. • Host created questions based on their own knowledge. • If the answer was not correct, the host provided the answer. • After the game audience members ranked the intelligence of the host versus the contestants.
Group A • Describe a time when you or a team of yours had a big victory in your life. Why did this happen?
Group B • Describe a time when you or a team of yours had a big lose in your life. Why did this happen?
Ross et al. (1977)Findings/Conclusions • The host was consistently ranked as having higher intelligence by the audience. • Ross concluded that the audience were looking for dispositional factors of the participants and not the situational factors…Fundamental Attribution Error! • Possible Criticisms: Ecological validity? Representative sample?Role of authority figure?
Error of Attribution #2:Self-Serving Bias • When people take credit for their success, attributing them to dispositional factors, and dissociate themselves from their failures, attributing them to situational factors.
Lau and Russel (1980) • Procedures: Examined sports pages in current print and archives to study whether football coaches would display a self-serving bias. • Naturalistic Obserservation
Lau and Russel (1980) • Football coaches attribute victories to dispositional factors- hard work and the talent of the team- and explain failures to situational factors – weather, refs, injuries.
Self-Serving Bias • Do you agree with this theory? • Why would we do this? What would it accomplish for us? • Limitations of Lau and Russel?
Modesty Bias • Kashima and Triandis (1986) • Asked students from different cultures to try to remember information from slides of unfamiliar countries. • American Students: Success attributed to ability. • Japanese Students: Failure Attributed to ability.
Errors in Attribution Skits • In pairs, you will create a short skit that represents one of the three errors in attribution. • Create a naturalistic situation where errors in attribution could occur • Clearly demonstrate your error in action • Class will attempt to guess which error of attribution you are showing.