Discuss Two Errors In Attribution. (Essay)

Front 1

Discuss two errors in attribution. (Essay)

Back 1

Intro:
1. Define Attribution
2. Two errors in attribution: fundamental attribution error and the self-serving bias.

Body Paragraph 1:
1. Define the fundamental attribution error
2. How does the fundamental attribution error occur
3. Difference between situational and dispositional
Experiment: Ross et al. (1977)

Body Paragraph 2:
1. Define self-serving bias
2. Why do we employ the self serving bias?
3. Cognitive factors that cause SSB:
a. Expect to succeed.
b. DO succeed: attribute it to our own
talents. (Dispositional)
c. DON'T succeed: attribute it to bad luck.
(Situational)
d. Helps to protect us and our confidence.
4. Cultural differences: modesty bias in other cultures.
Experiment: Johnson et al. (1964)

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Attribution

Back 2

Designating an outcome to one or more external or internal factors.

Front 3

Fundamental Attribution Error

Back 3

When people overestimate the role of dispositional factors in an individual's behavior culminating in illogical conclusions.

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How does the fundamental attribution error occur?

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1. People observe and automatically make inferences. They assume that it is a dispositional factor.

2. Most people don't make it to step two, but here they consider and then ignore situational factors. The nuances of the situational factors are often overlooked or more complex.

Front 5

Ross et al. (1977)

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Participants: university students

Participants randomly assigned to one of three roles (game show host, audience, or game show participant). Game show hosts made their own questions.

Results: When observers were asked to rank the intelligence of the participants, the game show hosts were consistently ranked as the most intelligent.

Conclusions: Even though observers were aware that the "hosts" created their own questions, they attributed the role to dispositional factors rather than situational ones.

Limits: Use of university students, used to seeing their professors in the same place of authority, asking the questions.

Front 6

Self-Serving Bias

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When people take credit for their successes, attributing them to dispositional factors, and dissociate from their failures, attributing them to situational factors.

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Why do we employ self-serving bias?

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Greensberg et al. (1982) argues that we do this because it protects our self-esteem. It is a means of self-protection.

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Culture's role in the self-serving bias.

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The self-serving bias is usually associated with western culture.

Modesty bias is more likely to be found in Asian societies because people derive their self esteem there not from individual accomplishments but from group identity.

Front 9

Johnson et al. (1964)

Back 9

Participants: psychology students

Taught two children how to multiply through a one way intercom. After the first phase pupil A got everything right, but pupil B, depending on the condition did badly on both or improved the second time around.

Results: In the condition where pupil B improved participants attributed this to their ability as teachers. However, when pupil B did not improve, they attributed this to the pupil's lack of ability.