PSYC 332 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Fundamental Attribution Error, Positive Illusions, Risk Assessment
Document Summary
The perception of reality is called mentally healthy when what the individual perceives corresponds to what is actually there (johoda, 1958) People make a number of systematic errors when gathering and processing information and making judgments. Heuristics (e. g. , availability: prevalence of plane crashes) Most people have illusions about the self: Risk assessment (overestimate the likelihood of positive events and. Illusions of (more) control underestimate the likelihood of negative events happening) Positive traits are overwhelmingly more descriptive of the self than negative traits. Positive information about the sulf and successes are processed more efficiently and recalled better than negative self-information and failures. Look at group data rather than individual. Self-ratings >>> observer ratings (e. g. , social competence) The idea that we have control over our lives is central to most theories of self-esteem and well-being (cf. learned helplessness) But, control beliefs tend to be greater than what"s justified (i. e. illusory):
