PSYC 1000 Lecture Notes - Fundamental Attribution Error, Dispositional Attribution, Williams College

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1000
• Professor: Dan Meegan

Document Summary

Social psychology- the scientific study of how we think about, influence and relate to one another. Study the social influences that explain why the same person will act differently in different situations. Attribution theory: the theory that we explain someone"s behaviour by crediting the situation or the person"s disposition. Can attribute behaviour to : the person"s stable, enduring traits (a dispositional attribution, the situation (a situational attribution) Fundamental attribution error: the tendency for observers, when analyzing another"s behaviour, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition. If she was friendly, both groups thought she was a warm person: they attributed her behaviour to her personal disposition even when told that her behaviour was situational (she was told to act that way) Appears more often in some cultures that others: individualistic westerners more often attribute behaviour to people"s personal traits.