University:
Eastern Kentucky University
Course:
PSY 300 | Social Psychology
Academic year:

2022
Views:

320

Pages:

1
Author:

sonalhava9qv

Social Psych Sunday, November 13, 2022 9:35 AM The Two Step Attribution Process • Two Step Attribution Process ○ Analyzing another person’s behavior first by making an automatic internal attribution and only then thinking about possible situational reasons for the behavior • We make an internal attribution, assuming that a person’s behavior was due to something about that person. • We then sometimes attempt to adjust this attribution by considering the situation the person was in. • The first step (making the internal attribution) occurs quickly and spontaneously, whereas the second step (adjusting for the situation) requires more effort and conscious attention • Recent brain-imaging studies provide evidence at a neural level that our tendency to spontaneously consider the internal, mental states of actors often leaves us less likely to think later about potential situational explanations for their actions • If and when we consciously slow down and think carefully before reaching a judgment; if we are cognitively alert and motivated to make as accurate a judgment as possible; or if we are suspicious about the behavior of the target person—for example, believing that he or she has ulterior motives is when we engage in the second step of attributional processing. Self-Serving Attributions • When our self-esteem is threatened, we often make self-serving attributions. ○ Explanations for one’s successes that credit internal, dispositional factors and explanations for one’s failures that blame external, situational factors • When explaining their victories, athletes and coaches both point overwhelmingly to aspects of their own teams. In fact, an analysis of professional athletes’ and coaches’ explanations for their team’s wins and losses found that 80% of the attributions for wins were to such internal factors. Losses were more likely to be attributed to external causes, outside of the team’s control, such as bad luck or the superior play of the other team • Why do we make self-serving attributions? ○ Most people try to maintain their self-esteem whenever possible, even if that means distorting reality by changing a thought or belief. ○ We are particularly likely to engage in self-serving attributions when we fail at something and we feel we can’t improve at it. The external attribution protects our self-esteem, as there is little hope we can do better in the future. But if we believe we can improve, we’re more likely to attribute our current failure to internal causes and then work on improving