Attribution
overhead
Fundamental Attribution Error
Generally
Internal
factors are attributed as underling other's
behaviors.
External
factors are seen as responsible for guiding our own behavior.
Specifically in case of
Successes and Failures
Us:
We credit our own success to internal causes and blame our failures
to the environment.
Them:
We attribute their success to the environment and their
failures to themselves.
Overhead
FIRST EXPERIMENT
How does the
introduction of a more general trait influence the attribution of other
existing traits?
Existing
traits: someone is described as intelligent,
skillful, industrious,
determined, practical,
or cautious.
Independent
Variable 1:
Additional
trait WARM is introduced
Independent
Variable 2:
Alternative
additional trait: COLD is
introduced
Dependent
variable:
%
of subjects using the 6 measurement traits
generous, wise, happy,
good-natured, reliable,
important
Results: People to whom the
description WARM was added to their original description were seen as more
generous wise, and happy.
overhead
SECOND EXPERIMENT
How does the introduction of
a less general trait influence the attribution of other existing traits?
Same
existing traits: someone is described as intelligent,
skillful, industrious,
determined, practical,
or cautious.
Different
Independent Variable 1:
Additional
trait POLITE is introduced
Different
Independent Variable 2:
Alternative
additional trait: BLUNT is
introduced
Same
dependent variable:
%
of subjects using the 6 measurement traits
generous, wise, happy,
good-natured, reliable,
important
Result: Using POLITE and BLUNT as additional traits does not
cause difference in ratings of the six measurement traits.
Overhead
Causal
Attributions Regarding Crime
-
First
schema: conservative ideology
-
Second schema: liberal ideology
-
third schema: radical ideology
Causal
Attribution
Kelley's
Theory of Attribution
Causal Attribution:
Our memories include an
attribution scheme that infers the cause of someone's
behavior.
Kelley's
Attribution rules
Consistency:
past behavior
Distinctiveness:
behavior in similar situations
Consensus:
behavior of other people
Example:
Tom fails the statistics course
What would be an internal
attribution?
__________________
When would we make an
internal attribution?
High Consistency:
he messes up statistics every time
Low
Distinctiveness: he messes up
other courses as well
Low
Consensus:
other students do not mess up the statistics course
Example:
Tom fails the statistics course
1. Change Tom's
example so consistency is low
_________________
What would we attribute in
this case?
__________
2. Change Tom's
example so distinctiveness is high
_____________
What
would we attribute in this case?
__________
3. Change Tom's
example so consensus is high
____________
What would we attribute in
this case?
________
Back to the homepage of Dr.
Andreas Schneider http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/Schneider/
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views of Texas Tech University or Dr. Andreas Schneider. @Copyright 2006 Andreas Schneider
