PSYC 1010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 42: Cognitive Dissonance, Fundamental Attribution Error, Dispositional Attribution

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Rebecca Jubis

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 psychologists : focus on the situation. they study the social influences that explain why the same person will act differently in different situations. Attribution theory : theory that we explain someone"s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person"s disposition. we can attribute behavior to the person"s stable, enduring traits (dispositional attribution), or to the situation (situational attribution). Fundamental attribution error : tendency for observers, when analyzing others" behavior, to underestimate impact of the situation and overestimate impact of personal disposition. we overestimate influence of personality and underestimate influence of situations. Attitude : feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.