PSYC 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Fundamental Attribution Error, Dispositional Attribution, Cognitive Dissonance

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1000
• Professor: Lisa Giguere

Document Summary

We form social groups and cooperate with others. Psychologically that requires us to have some unique abilities (self control, language, need to belong) Power in numbers, core to ability to survive. 150 is dunbar"s number, ability to sustain 150 relationships. Pre frontal cortex"s primary function is self control to be able to live with others, to cooperate. It is the study of how people influence each other"s thoughts, emotions and behavior. Understand what"s causing the behavior of others, usually the reason we come up with is wrong though. Attribution: a conclusion about the cause of an observed behavior. Situational attribution: factors outside the person are causing the action. Dispositional attribution: the person"s stable, enduring traits, personality, are causing the action. When we overestimate dispositional influences and underestimate situational influences on other"s behavior. It is fundamental, particularly in north america: more likely to respond negatively to others (irritability, frustration, anger, less likely to respond positively to others (tolerance, altruism)