PSYC 2310 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Collectivism, Ethnocentrism, Fundamental Attribution Error

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

Document Summary

Social perception how people form impressions of and make inferences about other people. Attribution theory how someone explains their causes to their actions and behaviours (why i did this) External attribution seeing the behaviour as caused by something external to the person who performs the behaviour. Internal attribution refers to (cid:449)hether the perso(cid:374)"s (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iour is (cid:272)aused (cid:271)(cid:455) perso(cid:374)al fa(cid:272)tors, su(cid:272)h as traits, ability, effort, or personality. Dispositional attribution refers to behaviours based upon persons internal characteristics. Situational attribution refers to behaviours based upon external factors, or the situation. Based on three factors: does the person have the choice to engage in the action (eg. mandatory class vs. electives) Based on our people want to maintain a positive-self image. Intergroup attribution (cid:373)aki(cid:374)g attri(cid:271)utio(cid:374)s a(cid:271)out o(cid:374)e"s o(cid:449)(cid:374) a(cid:374)d others" (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iours (cid:271)ased o(cid:374) group membership. Characteristic of ^ ethnocentrism a te(cid:374)de(cid:374)(cid:272)(cid:455) to attri(cid:271)ute desira(cid:271)le (cid:272)hara(cid:272)teristi(cid:272)s to o(cid:374)e"s o(cid:449)(cid:374) group and undesirable ones to outgroups (stereotypes)