PSYC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Fundamental Attribution Error, Dispositional Attribution, Social Influence

• School: Binghamton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 111
• Professor: dr.duell

Document Summary

Psyc 111 - lecture 22 - social psychology. Social psychology scientifically studies how we think about influence. Attribution theory states that we tend to give a causal explanation for someone"s behavior. We may explain people"s behavior in terms of internal disposition (dispositional attribution) Ex: a teacher may explain hostility in a child in terms of aggressive personality or as a reaction to stress or abuse fundamental attribution error. Can lead us to unwarranted conclusions about others" personality traits. Ex: we may blame poor and unemployed for their own misfortune. Attitudes feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events for example, if we believe someone is mean, we feel dislike and act unfriendly towards them. Ex: activists on both sides of the debate about the reality and dangers of climate change know that public attitudes affect public policies, and so are aiming to persuade types of persuasion.