Discuss two errors in attributions

Discuss two errors in attributions. (22)

Discuss (22) – A considered and balanced review, including a range of arguments, factors or hypothesis. Opinions and conclusions presented clearly supported by appropriate evidence.

*There are more than two errors in attribution here, choose two you are most confident with.

Attribution

Process of interpreting and explaining behaviour.
People do not passively observe their own and others’ actions.

Actor-observer effect

When people attribute behaviour whether they perform it themselves or observe others doing it.

Two factors of attributions

Situational attributions
Attributing to situational or external factors (e.g. Weather)
Dispositional attributions
Attributing to personal or internal factors (e.g. Intelligence)

Errors in attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error

When the role of disposition is overestimated and the affect of the situation is underestimated.

Lee et al. – Audience and Game show experiment (FAE)
[A]	Demonstrate the Fundamental Attributional Error (FAE).
[P]	Subjects were split into groups of hosts, audiences and contestants, randomly. Hosts were asked to design there own questions. Audiences watched the show. After the game show the audience were asked to rank the intelligence of people taken part.
[F]	Audience consistently rated the hosts smarter.
[C]	They failed to attribute the role to the person’s situation (random assignation of role). Instead attributed the person’s performance to dispositional factors.
[E]	Only student participants were used. University students spend their days listening to professors – authority figures who ask questions and give answers and is a learned response rather than attribution error.

Jones and Harris – Castro Essays evaluation (FAE)
[A]	Demonstrate the Fundamental Attributional Error (FAE).
[P]	Participants were university students. Subjects read pro and anti Fidel Castro (the Cuban revolutionary) essays. Subjects were asked to rate the “Pro Castro” attitudes of the writer on the scale of 10 to 70.
[F]	When subject believed that the writers had free choice of their position, they rated writers with who spoke in favor of Castro as having a more positive attitude towards Castro. When subject were told that the writers determined their position with a coin toss, they still rated writers who spoke in favor of Castro as having a more positive attitude.
[C]	This proves that although behaviour was severely constrained by situation, observers still opted for internal attribution.

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Been told too much that you end up believing it.

Leon Festinger – When Prophecy Fails (Self Fulfilling Prophecy)
[A]	Investigate the existence of Self Fulfilling Prophecy.
[P]	Experimenters found a group of superstitious people in Chicago believing that the world would end on December 21st. They became part of the group to observe their behaviour when the world didn’t actually come to an end. Experimenters needed to be part of the group because the group isolated themselves from all non-believers.
[F]	The group of people explained to themselves that God did not destroy the world because of their prayers. Caused cognitive dissonance (discomfort caused by conflicting cognitions i.e. ideas, beliefs). This is to protect there own group self esteem.
[C]	Self Fulfilling Prophecy was apparent as the believers made up a reason when their believe did not come true.
[E]	Ecological validity: High, naturalistic observation. Culture bias: only one superstitious group were studied locally.

Illusory Correlation

Correlating data that has a seemingly convincing connection but in fact is not connected at all.

Snyder and Swann – Introverts and Extroverts (Illusory Correlation)
[A]	Testing stereotype.
[P]	Told female students that they would either meet someone that was either introvert or extrovert. They were then asked to prepare a set of questions for the person they were going to meet.
[F]	Participants that thought they were meeting an introvert asked questions like "What do you dislike about parties?" or "Are there times you wish you could be more outgoing?" Participants that thought they were meeting an extrovert asked questions like "What do you do to liven up a party?"
[C]	Questions asked displayed the participants' stereotypes towards either personality. Revealed the formation of stereotyping – Illusory Correlation.

Modesty Bias & Self Serving Bias

Modesty bias: Tendency to attributing success to external factors and failures to internal factors.
Self serving bias: Tendency to attributing success to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Greenberg et al.

Argues that Self Serving Bias is a way to protect and boost our own self esteem.
If success is attributed to disposition, we feel satisfaction which boosts our self esteem.
If failure is attributed to situation, i.e. factors beyond our control, our self esteem will be protected.

Kashima and Triandis – Self Serving Bias and Modesty Bias study
[A]	Cultural factors affecting attribution (Self Serving Bias and Modesty Bias).
[P]	Participants were students from Japan and America. They were given pictures of unfamiliar countries and were asked to remember details. Participants then performed a recall of the details.
[F]	American students tend to attribute success to dispositional factors more. (Self serving bias). Japanese students tent to attribute failure to dispositional factors more (Modesty bias).
[C]	Biases in attribution can be affected by our cultural background.
[E]	Ecological validity: High, naturalistic observation. Culture bias: only one superstitious group were studied locally.