Attributions We Make About Ourselves

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overestimate situational influences on our own behavior.

The false-consensus effect leads individuals to underestimate the commonality of their opinions and successful behaviors.

Cognitive Dissonance is the discomfort caused by inconsistencies between attitudes and behavior.

The false uniqueness effect is the tendency to overestimate the commonality of one's abilities and successful behaviors.

The primacy effect indicates that information gathered early is weighed more heavily than information gathered later in forming an impression of another person.

The self-serving bias refers to making attributions so that one can perceive oneself unfavorably.

Normative social influence is when we comply with a direct request from another person or group.

The foot-in-the-door technique involves starting with a large request and then following it with a smaller, more reasonable request.

The low-ball technique involves gaining compliance by first presenting an attractive, less costly request and then reneging on it.

The that's-not-all technique involves gaining compliance to a planned second request with additional benefits by presenting this request before a response can be made to a first request.

Obedience is defined as acting in accordance with direct requests from others.

Cognitive dissonance is the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Deindividuation leads to an increase in self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations.

Group polarization is the weakening of a group’s prevailing opinion following group discussion about a topic.

Groupthink enhances decision making by prioritizing individual opinions over group harmony.

The bystander effect states that the probability of a person's helping in an emergency is greater when there are other bystanders present.

Attribution theory involves explaining our own behavior and that of others by attributing it to internal causes only.