The Self-Perception Theory

8/13/2019 The Self-Perception Theory

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THE SELF-PERCEPTION THEORY



Individuals come to “know” their own attitudes, emotions, a

internal states partially by inferring them from observations o

overt behavior and/or the circumstances in which this behav

(Bem, 1972)

The Self-perception Theory



Self Perception Theory is a behavioral theory.

Behavioral theories attempt to explain phenomenawithout using internal states (such as motivation ordrives) to explain behavior.



The original purpose of self perception theory was to explain phe

covered by cognitive dissonance theory, without using an internal

(dissonance) in the explanation

Self perception theory developed into a general theory to explain

arrive at decisions about the causes of their own behavior.



Self perception theory argues that people examine two things whdecisions about the cause of their own behavior.

They examine:

1) The behavior itself

2) The environmental forces working on the individual



Observed Behavior

+

Environmental Forces

=

Attributions for the Cause of the Behavior



EXAMPLE

Behavior: I am eating Salad

+

Environment: I am alone at home

=

Cause: I like Salad



QUESTION ARISES…

Is the cause of the behavior personal orsituational?



ANSWER TO THE QUESTION

Since there is no situational (environmental) explanation for my b

must conclude that the cause is personal: I must like asparagus.



EXAMPLE


+

Environment: A man has a gun pointed at me

=

Cause: I am eating Salad because I might otherwise be s



I might also ask, “Why was it necessary for someone to point a gu

get me to eat Salad?”

I might decide that I must not like Salad. I end up inferring a differdisposition in me.



TO CHANGE THE EXAMPLE:


+

Environment: My parents have said that I will not be allowed up fro

until I have finished the Salad=

Cause: I don’t like Salad



Here, there is considerable environmental cause for the behavior

conclude that I am eating Salad for a situational reason – The Gu



TO SUMMARIZE:

what self perception theory is saying about the cause of behavior

If there is minimal environmental explanation for a behavior, we cthe cause is personal (dispositional)

If there is strong environmental explanation for a behavior, we conthe cause is situational (something in my environment)



IMPLICATIONS

DOOR-IN-THE-FACE TECHNIQUE

Person is first asked to do something extreme (which he refuses

asked to do something smaller.

LOW-BALL TECHNIQUE

Person is asked for a small favor and is informed after agreeing to

will be very costly.

FOOT-IN-THE-DOOR TECHNIQUEConsumer is more likely to comply with a request if he has first ag

comply with a smaller request



Behavior: I told the guy that I liked the experiment

+

Environment: I got $20 for it

=

I hated that experiment

SELF PERCEPTION THEORY’S EXPLANATION FOR TH

RESULTS OF THE FESTINGER AND CARLSMITH EXPE



EXPLANATION

In the $20 case, the money is a strong explanation for the behavishould I have to be offered so much money to tell the guy that I likexperiment? Because I must dislike it.

Strong environmental cause implies lack of personal desire to pebehavior.



Behavior: I told the guy that I liked the experiment

+

Enviroment: I got $1 for it

=Cause: The experiment was okay



EXPLANATION

Here, there is very little environmental explanation for the behavioconclude that the cause for my telling the guy that the experiment

was personal – I said it was okay because it was okay.



The important thing to note is that cognitive dissonance was not uperception theory to explain the behavior. All it took was examinabehavior and its circumstances.

Self perception theory argues that internal drive states are not neexplanation of behavior and attributions.



WHICH THEORY IS CORRECT?

We can’t say that one theory is better than the other.

We can say that these are two different ways to explain the cause

– one requiring inference of internal drive states, the other not neexamination of internal drive states.



Behavior: 25 year old Johnny is playing baseball in the Major L

+

Environment: he receives $5 million a year to play baseb

=Cause: he is playing for the money (environmental cause) not fo

(personal cause)



OVERJUSTIFICATION EFFECT

An interesting sidelight to self-perception theory is the Overjustific

Definition: Minimal rewards lead to high interest in a task; externfor tasks lead to low interest in it.

The Overjustification effect argues that the more external reward given for doing something, the less becomes your enjoyment of tare performing the task for the reward (environmental cause), notenjoyment (personal cause).



OVERJUSTIFICATION EXAMPLE

Behavior: 9 year old Johnny plays baseball with the neighborhood

+

Environment: He receives no external reward for doing th

=

Cause: he plays baseball because it is fun



Question: When Johnny is offered $5 million to play next year, whado?

Answer: He refuses the contract and goes to arbitration for more m

Why: He no longer plays baseball for love of the game; he plays fomoney.



OVERJUSTIFICATION EFFECT

Moral of the story:

If you want someone to perform a behavior because they personado not provide oversufficient external cause (e.g., money) for it.



OTHER EXAMPLES

Getting paid for grades – does it cause you to like school more?

Getting paid to babysit – does it cause you to like babysitting mor

Getting paid to mow the lawn – does it cause you to like mowing more?



CONCLUSION

The Self-Perception Theory

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