Social Cognition/Attribution Theory

Social Cognition/Attribution Theory



Everyone is a nave psychologist (Heider)

Internal/External attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error (Ross)  Actor/Observer Difference (Jones & Nisbett)  Effects of Attributions (Jones, Rock et al.)  Self-fulfilling Prophecy


Social Cognition/Attribution Theory



Everyone is a nave psychologist (Heider)

Internal/External attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error (Ross)  Actor/Observer Difference (Jones & Nisbett)  Effects of Attributions (Jones, Rock et al.)  Self-fulfilling Prophecy


Everyone is a nave psychologist



Internal (dispositional) attributions

personality characteristics beliefs situational pressure/influence Internal:

External (situational) attributions

Example: Student turns in papers late

Everyone is a nave psychologist



Internal (dispositional) attributions

personality characteristics beliefs situational pressure/influence Internal:lazy, partying all the time

External (situational) attributions

Example: Student turns in papers late

Everyone is a nave psychologist



Internal (dispositional) attributions

personality characteristics beliefs situational pressure/influence Internal:lazy, partying all the time External:

External (situational) attributions

Example: Student turns in papers late

Everyone is a nave psychologist



Internal (dispositional) attributions

personality characteristics beliefs situational pressure/influence Internal:lazy, partying all the time External:family problems, working, girlfriend

External (situational) attributions

Example: Student turns in papers late

Social Cognition/Attribution Theory



Everyone is a nave psychologist (Heider)

Internal/External attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error (Ross)  Actor/Observer Difference (Jones & Nisbett)  Effects of Attributions (Jones, Rock et al.)  Self-fulfilling Prophecy


Fundamental Attribution Error



Lee Ross: Internal attributions more likely

Social Cognition/Attribution Theory



Everyone is a nave psychologist (Heider)

Internal/External attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error (Ross)  Actor/Observer Difference (Jones & Nisbett)  Effects of Attributions (Jones, Rock et al.)  Self-fulfilling Prophecy


Actor/Observer Difference

Steve

Bob (Actor)

Joe (Observer)

Actor/Observer Difference

Steve

Bob (Actor) Bob hits Steve. Why?

Joe (Observer)

Actor/Observer Difference
OBSERVER-->Internal attribution  ACTOR-->External attribution  What is salient in the perceptual field?  For OBSERVER: The actor  For ACTOR: Everything but the actor (i.e., the situation)


Social Cognition/Attribution Theory



Everyone is a nave psychologist (Heider)

Internal/External attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error (Ross)  Actor/Observer Difference (Jones & Nisbett)  Effects of Attributions (Jones, Rock et al.)  Self-fulfilling Prophecy


Effects of Attributions


Jones, Rock et al. (1968)

Subject is teacher; confederate is learner 1. Does well initially, finishes poorly (15 right) 2. Does poorly initially, finishes well (15 right) 3. Randomly gets correct and incorrect (15 right)

I.V. Pattern of correct answers

D.V. Intelligence ratings of learner

Effects of Attributions


Jones, Rock et al (1968)

Subject is teacher; confederate is learner 1. Does well initially, finishes poorly HIGHEST 2. Does poorly initially, finishes well LOWEST 3. Randomly gets correct and incorrect MIDDLE

I.V. Pattern of correct answers

D.V. Intelligence ratings of learner  Result: Primacy effect



Our initial explanations about the world can affect:

Our perception of others behavior (as we have seen)  Also:  Our perception of new information  Our perception of chance events


Initial attributions are persistent

BEHAVIOR (Jones, Rock et al.)  ATTITUDES (Lord, Ross, & Lepper)


Students attitudes on death penalty determined

 Favored or

Opposed or Didnt

Shown two new studies on death penalty

 Deterred crime

New opinions more extreme in initial direction Flipped coin/successful in first 10 flips or not Early success group: Higher prediction of accuracy in next 100 flips

CHANCE EVENTS (Langer & Roth)

Why are these biases important?



We may be totally wrong (false beliefs)

For example: Fundamental Attribution Error For example: Jones, Rock et al.

These beliefs persist, resist disconfirmation

Our incorrect beliefs may create a new reality

For example: Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Social Cognition/Attribution Theory



Everyone is a nave psychologist (Heider)

Internal/External attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error (Ross)  Actor/Observer Difference (Jones & Nisbett)  Effects of Attributions (Jones, Rock et al.)  Self-fulfilling Prophecy


Components of Self-fulfilling Prophecy

False belief (Expectation)  Actions, based on that belief  New reality created


Robert Rosenthal--application of SFP to research methods



Experimenter effects

Rats Pygmalian in the classroom

How does process take place? Channels of communication

Verbal Non-verbal