You’ve Got an Attitude!You’ve Got an Attitude!

PICK UP THE HANDOUT FROM THE

TABLE IN THE BACK!!!

Handout Time!Handout Time!

Fill out the Fill out the questionnaire using questionnaire using Britney Spears as Britney Spears as your inspiration. your inspiration.

Attribution TheoryAttribution Theory

We tend to give a We tend to give a causalcausal explanation for explanation for someone’s behavior; someone’s behavior; often crediting either often crediting either the the situationsituation or the or the person’s person’s disposition.disposition.

SituationSituation = = environmental factorsenvironmental factors externalexternal

DispositionDisposition = traits or = traits or personality factorspersonality factors Internal/innateInternal/innate

What might this driver be thinking about the

negative behavior ahead of him?

Fundamental Attribution Error Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)(FAE)

(FAE)(FAE) Tendency to over Tendency to over estimate the estimate the Disposition/TraitDisposition/Trait & under & under estimate the estimate the SituationSituation

Actor-Observer BiasActor-Observer Bias ““We” (Actor) attribute our We” (Actor) attribute our

behavior to the situationbehavior to the situation ““They” (Observer) attribute They” (Observer) attribute

our behavior to our our behavior to our disposition.disposition.

Definition:Definition: The actor- The actor-observer bias tends to be observer bias tends to be more pronounced in more pronounced in situations where the situations where the outcomes are outcomes are negativenegative. . Essentially, people tend to Essentially, people tend to make different attributions make different attributions depending upon whether depending upon whether they are the actor in a they are the actor in a situation or the observer. situation or the observer.

This effect can be reversed This effect can be reversed if you if you likelike someone. someone.

Attribution HandoutAttribution Handout

How many times did you circle “depends How many times did you circle “depends on the situation” for yourself compared to on the situation” for yourself compared to the other person? the other person?

Why does this happenWhy does this happen Focus more on the person than situation.Focus more on the person than situation. Culture – Collective vs. IndividualisticCulture – Collective vs. Individualistic

Attributions ContinuedAttributions Continued

Self-Serving BiasSelf-Serving Bias The tendency to view The tendency to view

positives about positives about ourselves as ourselves as dispositional (innate dispositional (innate traits)traits)

Also the tendency to Also the tendency to view negatives about view negatives about ourselves as situational. ourselves as situational.

Why do we think like Why do we think like this?this? This helps to This helps to protect our ego. It also protect our ego. It also enables us to confirm enables us to confirm that we are meeting our that we are meeting our goals.goals.

How might the Self-Serving Bias influence what each of these students think contributed to their grade?

Self Fulfilling Prophecy &Self Fulfilling Prophecy &

Self Fulfilling Self Fulfilling ProphecyProphecy: Negative : Negative thoughts predict thoughts predict negative behaviors.negative behaviors.

Pygmalion effectPygmalion effect, or , or Rosenthal effectRosenthal effect Higher expectation = Higher expectation =

higher performancehigher performance

The Highway Man!The Highway Man!

Read the story and answer Read the story and answer the questions!the questions!

Why do you think people have Why do you think people have a tendency to blame the a tendency to blame the victim?victim?

If the story was about a widow If the story was about a widow who was crossing the river to who was crossing the river to work to support her children, work to support her children, would that have changed your would that have changed your ranking? Why or why not?ranking? Why or why not?

How do attributions and How do attributions and attribution errors explain your attribution errors explain your ranking of these characters?ranking of these characters?

How can individuals change How can individuals change their errors in attributions?their errors in attributions?

Attributions ContinuedAttributions Continued

Just World Belief:Just World Belief: We tend to believe that the world is, We tend to believe that the world is,

on the whole, fair, and that wrongs on the whole, fair, and that wrongs will be punished and rights will be punished and rights rewarded at some time in the rewarded at some time in the indeterminate future. indeterminate future.

““You get what you deserve, and you You get what you deserve, and you deserve what you get!”deserve what you get!”

A number of studies have shown A number of studies have shown beliefs that people who suffer beliefs that people who suffer deserve it and have brought their ills deserve it and have brought their ills upon themselves. upon themselves.

A common belief is that A common belief is that homeless people are obviously homeless people are obviously lazy, whilst rich people probably lazy, whilst rich people probably got their wealth through diligent got their wealth through diligent hard work.hard work.

How Correlated are How Correlated are Actions and Attitudes?Actions and Attitudes?

Attitudes & Behaviors may not Attitudes & Behaviors may not be as correlated as you think!be as correlated as you think!

Read the description of the Read the description of the psychology experiment & psychology experiment & answer the question. answer the question.

When we feel less coerced & When we feel less coerced & more responsible for more responsible for troubling actions we feel troubling actions we feel greater greater cognitive cognitive dissonancedissonance. .

Rationalization:Rationalization: protects our protects our ego; If we choose to do/say ego; If we choose to do/say it, we must believe it. it, we must believe it.

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance Theory:Theory: When attitudes When attitudes and behaviors do not and behaviors do not match it creates stress. match it creates stress. Especially when you feel Especially when you feel responsible for your responsible for your behavior!!behavior!!

What causes changes in What causes changes in our attitudes? our attitudes? PersuasionPersuasion CredibilityCredibility LikabilityLikability AttractivenessAttractiveness