Causal Attribution & Attribution Biases
Types of Attributions
Kelley's Covariation Model: a rational process of attribution
Attribution Biases
Internal Attributions: dispositional
External Attributions: situational
Distinctiveness: generalizability of target's behavior to other contexts
Consistency: consistency of target's behavior
Consensus: target's behavior similar to others' behavior
Internal Attributions: low consensus (unique behavior), low distinctiveness (generalizes), high consistency
External Attributions: high consensus (not unique), high distinctiveness (doesn't generalize), high consistency
Actor-Observer Bias: actors and external attributions + observers and internal attributions
Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE): observers make an error when they tend to underestimate impact of situational factors / overestimate impact of dispositional factors when explaining an actor's behavior
Weak/Relative Form: tendency for actors to attribute their behavior more externally than internally over observers + observers to attribute actors' behavior more internally than externally over actors
Brierbrauer's Milgram Study: participants view reenactment of Milgram study
Results: seeing the situational forces doesn't eliminate actor-observer bias
Strong/Absolute Form: tendency for actors to attribute their behavior externally + observers to attribute actors' behavior internally
Getting to Know You: participants observe a staged "getting to know you" conversation
IV: actor vs observer
Getting To Know You + Perspective: effect of viewing perspective on attributions
IV: observer from actor's perspective vs original perspective
DV: attributions of actor's behavior to dispositional or situational factors
Results: actors emphasizes situational + observer emphasizes dispositional
IV: actor from observer's perspective vs original perspective
Results: no actor-observer bias observed with switched perspective
DV: causal attributions
Fidel Castro Essays
IV: pro-Castro vs anti-Castro
Quiz Show: questioner asks contestant "challenging but not impossible" questions
Causes of FAE
IV: essay writer had "free choice" vs "no choice"
DV: observer inference about writer's disposition on Castro
Results: even with "no choice", observers tended to infer a disposition that matched outward behavior
Perceiver Induced Constraint: effect of unmistakable constraint (clear situational factors) on FAE
Cognitive effort to integrate situational factors
Easier and fairer to attribute others' behaviors dispositionally
Situational factors on behavior are not salient to observers
Strategic reasons
IV: role (questioner, contestant, observer)
DV: knowledge ratings of questioner and contestant
Results: observers rate questioners as more knowledgeable despite situational role-conferred advantage
Results: FAE still occurs