Ch 3: Social Beliefs & Judgments

Part 3: Feb. 5, 2014

(Exam 1 will be Fri., 2/7 as planned)

 Attributions
• Attribution = explanation about a behavior
– Heider – personal vs. situational

– Kelly’s Covariation Theory (an attribution theory):

• Attribute behavior to internal (person) or external
(situation) based on 3 questions –
– 1. Consensus

– 2. Distinctiveness

– 3. Consistency
• If low distinctiveness & low consensus, but
high consistency, which attribution?
– Example?

• If high distinctiveness & high consensus, but

low consistency, which attribution?
– Example?
 Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)
• Relevant to judging others’ behavior:
– When do we make an internal attribution?
– When do we make an external attribution?

– 2-step process:

– Example?
 Self-fulfilling Prophecy
• How can expectations influence others’
behaviors?

• Pygmalion in the classroom – what are the results?

– Rosenthal’s (1968) study – automatic process
» 4 ways ‘bloomers’ were treated differently:
• Differences between experiments on self-fulfilling prophecy &
reality?

• Research on how to reduce the problem?