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Questions and Answers
What characterizes objective information?
Which of the following scenarios is an example of subjective information?
What does skepticism entail in the context of knowledge?
Which of the following statements best represents a paradigm shift?
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In which context is subjective writing generally considered unsuitable?
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How should skepticism be viewed in the context of critical thinking?
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What is a principal characteristic of subjective information?
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Why is objectivity important in news reporting?
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What is the primary focus of attribution theory in psychology?
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Which factor does NOT influence whether a behavior is attributed to internal or external causes?
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In a situation where a regular worker is late only once, what type of attribution is likely to occur?
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What does high consensus among individuals in a situation typically lead to in terms of attribution?
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If a teacher notices that two students out of thirty complete an assignment on time despite a tight deadline, what attribution is most likely to be made?
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What is the term for the tendency to attribute one's own successes to internal factors while blaming failures on external factors?
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How does distinctiveness affect the interpretation of someone's behavior?
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What does the Fundamental Attribution Error refer to in social psychology?
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In the context of the Actor/Observer Difference, how do people typically perceive their own actions?
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Which factor would lead to a different explanation if a classmate fails to greet you?
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Study Notes
Objectivity and Subjectivity
- Objective information is based on facts, measurements, and observations
- Objective information is commonly found in encyclopaedias, textbooks, and news reports
- Objective information is suitable for decision making and news reporting
- Subjective information is based on opinions, interpretations, perspectives, emotions and judgements
- Subjective information is commonly found in newspaper editorials, blogs, biographies and comments on the internet
- Subjective information is not advisable for decision making or news reporting
Skepticism
- Scepticism is a questioning attitude towards knowledge, belief or dogma
- It can be directed at supernatural, morality, theism or knowledge
- Scepticism is doubt, which can be based on lack of evidence or religious beliefs
- Philosophically, scepticism suggests that certain knowledge is impossible
Paradigm Shift
- A paradigm shift is a change in the previous understanding of a subject
- It's a transformation of an earlier concept
- The concept of paradigm shift was identified by Thomas Kuhn, an American physicist and philosopher
Attribution Theory
- In social psychology, attribution is the process by which individuals explain the reasons behind behaviour and events.
- This theory attempts to explain how people make judgments about other people’s behavior
- According to this theory, we attempt to determine whether an individual’s behavior is caused internally or externally.
- It depends on three factors: Distinctiveness, Consensus, Consistency.
Types of Attribution
- Internal and External Attributions
- Internal Attribution - This occurs when we believe that a person's behavior is caused by their own personality, character, or ability, i.e., Dispositional Attribution.
- External Attribution - This occurs when we believe that a person's behavior is caused by the situation or circumstances, i.e., Situational Attribution.
Determining Factors
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Distinctiveness - Whether an individual displays different behavior in different situations.
- UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR is EXTERNALLY ATTRIBUTED. For example, a regular worker that always comes on time is late one day, we are likely to make an external attribution.
- If a person is late every day and is someone who blows off commitments, we are likely to make an internal attribution.
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Consensus - People facing a similar situation respond in the same way.
- If consensus is high, we give it an external attribution.
- If consensus is low, we give it an internal attribution. For example, a whole batch is given an assignment with a short time limit, but all the students except two completed the assignment. The teacher is most likely to go for internal attribution and scold the two.
- In the same situation, if 28 students could not do it, the teacher is most likely to go for an external attribution and give more time for assignment completion.
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Consistency - How consistent are a person’s actions?
- If the behavior is consistent, we assume the causes are Internal.
- If the behavior is inconsistent, we attribute to external causes.
Attribution Errors
- Fundamental Attribution Error - This is a bias in judgment, where we tend to overestimate the influence of internal factors and underestimate the influence of external factors.
- Self Serving Bias - The tendency for individuals to attribute their own success to internal factors and put the blame for failures on external factors.
- Actor/Observer Difference - People tend to attribute other people's behaviors to dispositional (internal) factors, while attributing their own actions to situational (external) factors.
Dispositional Bias
- Dispositional attribution is a tendency to attribute people's behaviors to their dispositions; that is, to their personality, character, and ability.
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Description
This quiz explores the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, shedding light on their definitions and applications. It also delves into the nature of skepticism and the phenomenon of paradigm shifts in knowledge. Test your understanding of these philosophical and informational concepts.
