Causal Attributions Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are causal attributions?

Inferences that people draw about the causes of their own behavior and the behavior of others.

Attributions can be which of the following? (Select all that apply)

Internal or external (correct)

Stable or unstable (correct)

Specific or global (correct)

None of the above

What do people with an optimistic explanatory style attribute negative outcomes to?

External, unstable, and specific factors.

What do people with a pessimistic explanatory style attribute negative outcomes to?

Internal, stable, and global factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the fundamental attribution error?

The tendency to overestimate the role of dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when making attributions about the behavior of others. Signup and view all the answers

How does culture affect the fundamental attribution error?

North Americans tend to make more dispositional attributions, whereas Asian Indians make more situational attributions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the actor-observer effect?

The tendency to attribute our own behavior to situational factors and the behavior of others to dispositional factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is self-serving bias?

The tendency to attribute our own desirable outcomes to dispositional factors and undesirable outcomes to situational factors. Signup and view all the answers

What does the ultimate attribution error refer to?

The tendency to attribute negative behaviors of in-group members to situational factors and out-group members to dispositional factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the covariation model?

A model proposing that people make attributions about another person's behavior by considering consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness. Signup and view all the answers

What does consensus mean in the covariation model?

Whether others would do the same thing as the person in the same situation. Signup and view all the answers

What does consistency mean in the covariation model?

Whether the person usually acts this way in this type of situation. Signup and view all the answers

What does distinctiveness mean in the covariation model?

Whether the person usually acts differently in other types of situations. Signup and view all the answers

When do people make an external attribution about another person's behavior according to the covariation model?

When consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness are all high. Signup and view all the answers

When do people make an internal attribution about another person's behavior according to the covariation model?

When consensus is low, consistency is high, and distinctiveness is low. Signup and view all the answers

What is the fundamental attribution error often exhibited as?

Overestimating the role of dispositional factors when determining the cause of others' behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What indicates that you are exhibiting the actor-observer effect?

Attributing your own behaviors to situational factors and others' behaviors to dispositional factors. Signup and view all the answers

What external causes might lead you to attribute your co-worker's dissatisfaction?

High consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Causal Attributions Overview

Causal attributions are inferences regarding the causes of one’s own and others’ behaviors.
Attributions can be classified into internal (dispositional) and external (situational), along with stable vs unstable and specific vs global.

Optimistic vs Pessimistic Explanatory Styles

Optimistic individuals attribute negative outcomes to external, unstable, and specific factors.
Pessimistic individuals attribute negative outcomes to internal, stable, and global factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

This refers to the tendency to overestimate dispositional factors while underestimating situational factors when evaluating others’ behaviors.
Cultural differences are evident; North Americans tend to make more dispositional attributions compared to Asian Indians, who lean towards situational attributions.

Actor-Observer Effect

This effect highlights the difference in attributions for self vs others, where individuals attribute their own behaviors to situational factors while attributing others' actions to dispositional factors.

Self-Serving Bias

When evaluating one’s own behaviors, individuals demonstrate self-serving bias by attributing success to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Ultimate Attribution Error

This error is evident when attributing behaviors of in-group vs out-group members, often attributing in-group negative behaviors to situational factors and out-group negative behaviors to dispositional factors.
This concept is often used to explain the dynamics of prejudice.

Covariation Model

Attribution is influenced by three components: consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness.
High consensus indicates others would behave similarly; high consistency indicates the individual typically behaves this way in similar situations; high distinctiveness suggests the individual behaves differently in other situations.

Application of the Covariation Model

High consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness lead to external attributions for another person’s behavior.
Conversely, low consensus, high consistency, and low distinctiveness suggest internal attributions.

Summary Notes on Attributions

Fundamental attribution error involves overestimating personality traits and underestimating situational influences in others' behaviors.
The actor-observer effect specifically addresses the differential attribution based on perspective; self behaviors are often attributed to context while others' behaviors are attributed to character.
Applying the covariation model effectively allows for clearer understanding of how different factors inform attribution decisions.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This quiz focuses on the concept of causal attributions, detailing how individuals interpret the causes of behaviors. Explore various types of attributions, including internal and external distinctions. Enhance your understanding of optimistic explanatory styles in causal reasoning.