PSYC 2310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Fundamental Attribution Error, Collectivism, Virginity

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2310
• Professor: Saba Safdar

Document Summary

Making attributions in intercultural interactions: types of explanations, ability, task difficulty, effort, luck, cultures tend to use different explanations for success and failure. If the listener and the speaker make the same attribution we have an isomorphic attribution (successful attribution) In individualistic cultures people tend to focus on the individual as determining the cause of behaviour: people attribute success to ability & failure to external factors. In collectivistic cultures people tend to give greater emphasis to external causes of individual behaviour: people attribute success to help from others & failure to the lack of effort. Masuda & nisbett"s study (2001: results, both american & japanese college students recalled details about the focal fish to a nearly equal extent, japanese students, however, reported more details about the supporting cast in the background. Chinese images were presented and less situational attribution when american images were given: conclusion, social perceptions are fluid and depend on which culture is brought to mind.