PSYC 100B Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Dispositional Attribution, Social Loafing, Group Polarization

• School: University of Victoria
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100B
• Professor: Chim Louise

Document Summary

Personality psychologists focus on the person - they study the personal traits and dynamics that explain why different people may act differently in a given situation. Social psychology: the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to know another. Our social behaviour arises from our social cognition. Attribution theory: the theory that we explain someone"s behaviour by crediting either the situation (situational attribution) or the person"s disposition (dispositional attribution). Fundamental attribution error: the tendency for observers, when analyzing others" behaviour, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition. Individualist western cultures are more likely to attribute behaviour to one"s personal traits. East asians are more sensitive to the power of situation. When we explain our own behaviour, we are more sensitive to how behaviour changes with the situation, except when we are explaining our admirable actions.