PSYC 1023 Chapter Notes -Fundamental Attribution Error

• School: Acadia University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1023
• Professor: O Shanney

Document Summary

You can gain a lot of information about a person through observation a. of behaviour --> may not be reflective of circumstantial pressures b. You actively analyze a person"s behaviour to make inferences based on three variables: Degree of choice: he chose to act in the observed. Intended consequences of the behaviour: covariation theory. Kelley"s covariation theory predicts how you determine if a a. given behaviour is due to an individual"s personal disposition or the situation and circumstances b. You are more vulnerable to make fundamental attribution error when determining the causes of the behaviours in others rather than your own --> you are much more aware of situational influences. Generally speaking eastern world situational but western arribution. A special case of misattribution is the self serving bias; refers to your tendency to perceive yourself favourably --> the fundamental attribution error and actor observer effect can lead to examples of self serving bias.