MGMT20001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Fundamental Attribution Error, Confirmation Bias, Selective Perception

• School: University of Melbourne
• Department: Management
• Course: MGMT20001
• Professor: All

Document Summary

Week 2: perception, attribution and individual decision making. Perception is a process by which individuals organise and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. Attribution theory is an attempt to determine whether an individual s behaviour is internally or externally caused. Internally caused behaviors are those we believe to be under the personal control of the individual. Externally caused behaviors are what we imagine the situation forced the individual to do. Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgement about the behaviour of others. Self-serving bias is the tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors and put the blame for failures on external factors. Selective perception is the tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis of one s interests, background, experience and attitudes.