Social Content Area I: Social Cognition: Introduction, Attribution, and Person Perception

Topic: Introducing the Fundamental Attribution Error.

Myers Module: 43
Activity Type: Video with Discussion
Description/Instructions: Have students watch a video (of your choice) with a person
demonstrating some distinct actions or behaviors in a specific situation (see note below). Then,
ask your students to write or discuss why the person is doing what the person is doing. Most
students will tend to describe the target person’s behavior via a dispositional explanation. After
the students have done this, explain the situation which may have caused the behavior to occur.
Assessment: Ask student to list and describe possible explanations for the target person’s
behavior from the video’s behavior. Have them identify explanations (attributions) which are
dispositional and situational.
Notes: Face-to-face with online content; if you are familiar with the movie It’s a Mad Mad Mad
Mad World you could use the following clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzZsp8SvJj8
TICE Goals: 3a, 3b, 4c, 5a

Topic: Fundamental Attribution Error Activity/Person Perception.

Myers Module: 43
Activity Type: Experiential, application activity.
Description/Instructions: This activity is one your students can complete with members of their
class or using students from another class. This activity can help demonstrate, through
experiential learning, the fundamental attribution error. First, ask students to identify someone
who they might have automatic reactions to, because of the way this person acts, dresses, etc.
Next ask students to list what they believe this identified student's typical behaviors are and to
describe any assumptions about this individual. Choose three of the assumption/behaviors which
you would like to learn more about. Over the next two weeks, spend some time getting to know
the person you identified. Prepare a written paper describing whether your assumptions correct?
Describe why you had assumed what you assumed and whether your assumption changed.
Finally, describe your experience in term of the fundamental attribution error.
Assessment: Students should write a one page paper describing their experiences.
Notes: Face-to-face; in and out of class activity
TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 3a, 4c, 5d, 6a

Topics: Demonstrating the Actor/Observer Bias

Myers Module: 46
Activity Type:
Description/Instructions: This activity will aid in demonstrating and discussing the
actor/observer attributional bias. After students have seen their first exam grade, ask students to
write why they earned the grade they earned. Ask them also to speculate on why others in class
earned the grade they earned. Later in the course, when discussing actor observer biases, use the
responses of the students to demonstrate to the class that those students who earned a high grade
tend to attribute their success to a personal attribution (e.g., “I studied hard,” “I am good at this
stuff,” etc.) and those earning poor grades tend to attribute their failure to situational factors (e.g.,
“I did not have time to study, “ “We did not cover all the materials in class,” etc.). Next, read
student’s responses about their friend’s grade and the explanations to further demonstrate actor
observer biases.
Assessment: Ask students to write a one page paper reflecting on and speculating about the
actor/observer bias and the reasons humans behave this way.
Notes: Face-to-face
TICE Goals: 1b, 1c, 3a, 4c, 5d, 6a