PSYC 333 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Dual Process Theory, Motivated Reasoning, Information Processing
7 May 2018
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Lecture'5:'Perceived'superiority''
(Jan.'23)'
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Bibliography:''
-Tesser,'Abraham'“Self'and'identity':'an'introduction”'from'Advanced'Social'Psychology.'
New'York:'Mc'Graw-Hill,'c1995'
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Plan:'
I.#The#better#than#average#effect#
A.'Feeling'“Holier'Than'Thou”'(Epley'and'Dunning,'2000)'
B.'Study'1:'“Daffodil'days”'
C.'Study'2:'“Prisoner’s'Dilemma”''
D.'Conclusions:'Feeling'“Holier'Than'Thou”'(Epley'and'Dunning,'2000)'
E.' Predicting' how' much' you' will' donate:' care' based' information' vs' base' rate'
information'
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II.#Comparative#ability#judgments##
A.'Above-average'effect'and'domain'difficulty''
B.'Study'1:'Comparative'ability'judgments'and'ability'estimates'
C.'Study'2:'“Integrative'ability”'percentile'estimates''
D.'Dual'process'theories''
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I.'The'better'than'average'effect'
The'majority'of'people'rate'themselves'over'the'average.''
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A.'Feeling'“Holier'Than'Thou”'(Epley'and'Dunning,'2000)'
They'have#a#sense#of#false#uniqueness#about#desirable#qualities:'
-people' will' say' that' they' are' more' cooperative,' considerate,' fair,' kind,' loyal,' ect' than'
their'peers''
-also' true' of' specific' behaviours' (e.g.' likelihood' of' rebelling' in' Milgram' obedience'
studies):'people'said'that'they'will'rebel'in'this'study'even'if'they'know'that'most'people'
did'not.''
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2'reasons'which'could'produce'the'“holier'than'thou”'effect':''
-overly#cynical#views#of#their#peers?'
-overly#charitable#view#of#themselves'(and'accurate'view'of'their'peers)?'
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When'making#predictions#about#the#self#in#relation#to#others,'people'must:'
1.'Evaluate'their#own'traits,'dispositions'and'likely'behaviour'
2.'And'evaluate'others’'traits,'dispositions'and'likely'behaviour''
=>'An'error'on'either'side'could'produce'overly'flattering'self'assessments.'
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B.'Study'1:'“Daffodil'days”'
“Daffodil' day”:' it' is' a' day' when' fraternity' and' sorority' sell' tickets' for' charity' event.'
Everybody'knew'about'it'on'the'campus:'it'was'a'tradition.''
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Method:''
1.'5'weeks'before'charity'event'all'students'have'to'answer'these'questions:''
-“Will'you'buy'at'least'one'daffodil'and,'if'so,'how'many?”'
-“Will'peer'buy?”''
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2.'3'days'after'event'they'have'to'answer'this'question:''
-“Did'you'buy?”''
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Results:''
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-People'predicted'that'they'would'buy'more'tickets'than'their'peers.''
-They'buy'less'tickets'than'predicted,'and'so'did'their'peers.''
-Their'estimation'of'the'number'of'tickets'buy'by'their' peers' was' more' accurate' than'
the'estimation'that'they'made'for'themselves.''
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=>'The'error'is'due'to'self'and'social'attributions.''
Alternative'explanations:'
-Mistaken#construal?#(inflate#error#magnitude)'
Maybe' this' error' arises' because' people' are' not' able' to' construe' this' future' situation.'
Maybe'you'imagine'than'in'Daffodil'Days'you'will'just'have'received'your'pay,'and'the'
weather'will'be'good,'but'in'the'actual'Daffodil'Days'it'is'raining'and'you'don’t'have'any'
money.''
-Predictions#may#“contaminate”#behaviour'(diminish#error#magnitude)'
Having'stated'that'you'will'buy'Daffodil'tickets'can'push'you'to'actually'buy'the'ticket.''
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C.'Study'2:'“Prisoner’s'Dilemma”''
Method:'
1.' The' experimenter' described' the' situation' in' detail' to' the' participant:' you' make' a'
choice'between'strategy'A'or'B,'and'your'partner'also'chose.''
You'have'to'predict'if'you'would'cooperate'or'not'/'chose'strategy'A'or'B,'and'you'rate'
what'the'average'would'do.'
2.'Another'group'of'participant'do'it.''
Differences'with'the'Daffodil'Days'experiment:''
-Between'subjects'(predict'self,'predict'other,'actual'behaviour):' Here' the' people'who'
are'doing'the'prediction'are'not'the'one'who'act.''
-Also'the'event'was'controlled'in'a'laboratory''
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Results:''
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Document Summary
Tesser, abraham self and identity : an introduction from advanced social psychology. Comparative ability judgments: above-average effect and domain difficulty, study 1: comparative ability judgments and ability estimates, study 2: integrative ability percentile estimates, dual process theories, the better than average effect. The majority of people rate themselves over the average: feeling holier than thou (epley and dunning, 2000) They have a sense of false uniqueness about desirable qualities: People will say that they are more cooperative, considerate, fair, kind, loyal, ect than their peers. Also true of specific behaviours (e. g. likelihood of rebelling in milgram obedience studies): people said that they will rebel in this study even if they know that most people did not. 2 reasons which could produce the holier than thou effect : When making predictions about the self in relation to others, people must: evaluate their own traits, dispositions and likely behaviour, and evaluate others" traits, dispositions and likely behaviour.
