SOCI 323 Social Psychology Session 8 Attributional Errors - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education

2014/2015 – 2016/2017

SOCI 323 Social Psychology

Session 8 – Attributional Errors

Lecturer: Dr. Peace Mamle Tetteh, Department of Sociology Contact Information: ptetteh@ug.edu.gh

godsonug.wordpress.com/blog

Session Overview

SocialPsychology

Our attempts at attributing cause to others behavior are not always

• accurate. In this session, we shall identify and explain some of the

biases and errors we tend to make during attribution. We shall explore the reasons why these biases occur and proffer measures to mitigate their occurrence and/or effects. At the end of the session, the student will:

• Be able to identify and explain a few basic types of attributional

errors

• Understand and explain the factors responsible for the incidence of

these errors

• Understand the implications of each of the attributional biases

identified

Session Outline

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The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Fundamental Attribution Error
• Actor-Observer Effect
• Self-Serving Bias
• Sample Questions
• Session Summary
• References

Reading List

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• Read chapter three (3) of the required text and the article

posted on session 8 on Sakai.

Topic One

FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION BIAS

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What is Fundamental Attribution Bias

• The fundamental attribution bias is also referred to as the

correspondence biasThis refers to the tendency to make internal attributions over external attributions in explaining the behavior

• f others.
• In other words, it is overestimating the role of dispositional

(internal) causes while underestimating the impact of sometimes clear situational ones. It is when you explain that people act because that is their nature rather than the situational factors that may have affected their behavior.

• That is, you might notice the issue but assign them less value. For

example, you may explain the plight of disadvantaged groups such as the poor, mentally or physically challenged, prisoners etc in society as their own doing. You may say that they are bad, lazy

• r have brought the mishap they are suffering upon themselves.

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Reasons for the F.A.B (1)

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PerceptualSalience:

• When another person is observed in a social setting, what is most perceptually salient is that

particular person- his dynamic movements, his distinctive voice and his overall physical presence.

• In comparison, there are relatively static external forces that may actually cause and be responsible

for those behaviors which are less salient and evident and thus less likely to be factored into the attribution equation.

• Thus, what is perceptually salient, which often is the individual is what is used to make attributions

why the external less salient factors tend to be ignored. Socio- Cultural Background andSocialization

• In the Western societies where the culture is based on the ideology of ‘individualism’ in which

humans are conceived of as autonomous ‘internally driven creatures’ not influenced by external forces, the fundamental attribution error is more prevalent and people are more susceptible to making this error.

• On the other hand, in non Western and collectivistic cultures where there is a stress on the relation

between the individual and his social surroundings, the error is less.

Reasons for the F.A.B (2)

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The correspondence/ fundamental attribution bias according to Baron and Branscombe (2012) is also strongest in situations where:

• Both consensus and distinctiveness are low ()
• We are trying to predict others behavior into the far-
• ff future rather than the immediate future. In such

situations, the tendency is to think of others in terms

• f global traits (eg, women are emotional beings)

and ignore the external factors of their behaiour (external stress).

Implications of the F.A.B

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• This bias allows social observers or perceivers to block the actors attempt to deny

responsibility for negative events with which he or she is associated.

• There is a tendency to disregard the situational factors that explain the plight of

victims within our society (rape victims and street people and disadvantaged minorities, suicide victims etc). This less than sympathetic response is because you hold the people responsible for their plight.

• Should we even show some sympathy, the assignment of dispositional blame will

influence the type of solutions we as a society implement with these people.

• Thus, if the cause is explained as internal, it is likely that the treatment programs

will focus on changing the individuals and not on improving the conditions of their social environment which create such problems for them. For example, instead of creating job opportunities for the youth, interventions may rather be focused on ‘curing’ the youth of their laziness if a fundamental attribution is made to the effect that the youth are poor because they are internally lazy.

Sample Question

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• What is the correspondence bias? Explain why it
• ccurs and discuss the implications of its incidence.

Topic Two

THE ACTOR-OBSERVER EFFECT

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The Actor-Observer Effect

• This bias refers to the tendency to attribute our own behavior mainly to

external or situational causes but that of others mainly to internal dispositional causes and factors.

• The reason why this occurs is also because of perceptual salience.

Thus, while a person is engaged in a particular activity, his attention is typically turned outward toward the situation, but the observer’s attention is likely to be focused on the actor.

• Thus, what is salient for the actor (likely to be the situation) and what is

salient for the observer (likely to be the actor) differs due to their perspectives in viewing the event.

• Thus, when you are an actor, you see the external, but when you

become an observer you see the other actor and not the external. However, if actors become self aware, observers of their own actions, the occurrence of this bias will be less likely.

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Topic Three

THE SELF-SERVING BIAS

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What is the Self-Serving Bias?

• This is the tendency to assign an internal locus of causality for your positive
• utcomes or behavior and an external locus for your negative outcomes or behavior.

In other words, the tendency to attribute internal causes to positive behavior (example, one’s own behavior and traits and characteristics) and external causes to negative behavior. Thus, taking credit for positive behavior outcomes but blame negative ones on external causes.

• For instance, if you get an ‘A’ in an exam, the tendency is to say you are brilliant and

you put in a lot of hard work. However should you get an “F” you may say the lecturer did not teach well, or the examination questions were confusing. Real familiar isn’t it? The reasons why this bias occurs is because as humans, we seek to enhance or protect our self esteem enhance our public image.

• A variation of the self serving bias is the ‘in-group bias’. This refers to the tendency

to see the actions of in-group members through the same “rose colored glasses” as you view your own. This may lead you to make excuses for your in-group members such as your family, your tribe, your church or political party and find everything wrong with others families, tribes, churches and political parties.

• Though the bias may provide you with a less than accurate view of yourself, it may

serve as an adaptive cognitive strategy.

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Why the Self-Serving Bias Occurs

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Two basic explanations have been given for the incidence of the self serving bias namely:

• Cognitive explanations: these suggest that the self serving bias

emanates from the way we process information. It is because humans generally have an expectation to succeed, they attribute positive outcomes to internal factors and the negative to external factors.

• Motivational Explanations: this stems from our need to

protect and enhance out self esteem- to look good in our own eyes and also in the eyes of others.

• Cultural Background: the self serving bias is weaker in cultures that

emphasise the community and group harmony and outcomes (Asia, Africa) and more common in cultures that emphasise individual accomplishments (Europe and America)

Implications of the Self-Serving Bias

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• This bias has implications for social interaction in

many contexts. It can make persons working in teams think they have made the most contributions (taking credit for the positive outcomes) and blame others in the team for any negative outcomes.

• It makes it difficult for some people to acknowledge

their weaknesses or acknowledge the strength of

• thers (I can do no wrong, you can do no right)

Self- Defeating Attributions

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• Though many people have the tendency to exhibit a self serving

bias, a few others (usually depressed persons) exhibit self-defeating attributions

• Such persons tend to attribute negative outcomes to lasting internal

causes such as their own traits (poor intelligence, lack of ability etc) but attribute good cause to externals factors (favour from others/ good luck)

• As a result such persons perceive that they are the mercy of fate
• ver which they have to control.
• Several therapies exist for such depressed persons to help them to

stop blaming themselves for every negative outcomes (especially

• nes that cant be avoided and over which they had no control) and

to start taking credit for positive outcomes.

Session Summary

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• Our attempts at attributing cause to others behavior

is subject to many potential biases.

• These biases can occur in both the instances when

we have face-to-face interaction with others as well as in the contexts when we interact with others via the internet (eg. email) when we do not get the

• pportunity to see them face-to-face.
• Knowledge of these biases- why they occur and their

implications have been useful in understanding and managing depression, a very common mental disorder.

References

• Robert, B. and Branscombe, N. (2012). Social Psychology.

13th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc.

• Aronson, E., Wilson, T

. & Akert, R. (2007) Social Psychology. 6th Edition. Pearson Education Inc.

• Aronson, E., Wilson, T

. & Akert, R. (2010) Social Psychology. 7th Edition. Pearson Education Inc.

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