PSYC 2310 Lecture Notes - Patty Hearst, Fundamental Attribution Error, Neon Sign
2 Mar 2013
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Document Summary
Answering the why" question the difficult case of patricia hearst two viable interpretations: her behaviour is primarily a function of situation, her behaviour is primarily a function of personal disposition. The logic of attribution the attributional equation or the lewinian equation: behaviour = situation + disposition. To answer the question did patty hearst have a disposition to rob the bank? rearrange the equation: d = b s. The person does the opposite of what the situation pushes him or her to do. There is no situational push at all. Our fundamental attribution error is our first judgment, which is that we think she is a bitch. Wanting dispositions correspondence bias gives a sense of control through: dispositionist worldview, prediction of others" behaviour. Misunderstanding situations correspondence bias creates a tendency to underestimate situational power because: situations are often invisible. Eg. father tells daughter if she pierces tongue he will disinherit her.
