Self-Application The following social psychology concepts/theories have added to my understanding of the world and helped me to grow personally. I have observed these concepts, phenomenon, and theories as I interact with others. The fundamental attribution, foot-in-the door phenomenon, chameleon effect, realistic conflict theory, and social exchange theory are widely studied by social psychologists. According to David G., Meyers (2013), the fundamental attribution error is the tendency for observers to overestimate dispositional influences, underestimate situational influences and upon other’s behavior. It is also called correspondence bias because we so often see behavior as corresponding to disposition, (p.103). An example that demonstrates …show more content…
In addition, it suggests that social behavior is the product of an exchange process. In relationships, when the risks outweigh the rewards, individuals will abandon or terminate the social affiliation. For instance, in some relationships benefits matter most, as your friend provides friendship, fun, companionship, and social provisions. Although your friend may be a freeloader, he brings a lot of excitement and fun into your life. When determining the value of friendship, you determine the benefits that positively outweigh the likely costs. In negative relationships, the costs are greater than the benefits. In addition, according to Meyers (2013) the social learning theory assumes that helping, like other social behaviors is motivated by a desire to maximize rewards, which may be internal or external, a feel-good/do-good effect: happy people are helpful people. Do you surmise that it is opportunistic when deciding whether to continue a relationship or helping someone in need by how it hinges on maximizing one’s rewards and minimizing one’s costs? Is this the way Jesus taught us as Disciples of Christ to behave? I think we are to love our neighbors as we wish to be loved or
There are many differences between cultures around the world. The way individuals perceive and go about their daily lives are affected by their culture. Culture and Causal Cognition by Ara Norenzayan and Richard E. Nisbett reveals the dissimilarities between America and East Asia cultural influences on reasoning. Fundamental attribution error is the phenomenon that is mentioned in this study. The fundamental attribution error states that individuals usually are inclined to see actions and behaviors as a result of temperaments equivalent to the nature of the individual. An experiment described in this research article stated that when participants were given an essay to read, they automatically assumed that the person who wrote the essay shared the same views in which they wrote about. This study was one with American participants and it showed American participants inferred that the individual who was given instructions to write about a specific subject shared the same belief in which they wrote about. For example, a participant can be instructed to write about the Republican Party, and how a republican president would make America a better country. Reading the article, an
Another principle at the socio-cultural level of psychological analysis is the idea that humans’ behaviour is influenced by the people around us, whether it be directly or indirectly.
In the short film, The Lunch Date, the white woman who misses her train commits fundamental attribution error. Fundamental attribution error is defined as the overestimation of a person's personality and the underestimation of the situation. For example, after the woman in the short film misses her train, she enters a restaurant to order a salad. She leaves her food on her table to get a fork; when she comes back, she finds that a black man is eating her salad. She believes that he is a homeless man who just stole her food, but in reality she just sat at the wrong table. She commits fundamental attribution error by judging the black man's outward appearance, and assuming that the black man did not pay for the salad.
Social psychology is one of the many variations of psychology. By definition, social psychology is how humans influence each other’s way of behaving and thinking. Under social psychology, there are various ways to define human behaviour and understand why we behave in a particular manner. These approaches deal with multiple concepts such as conformity, obedience, and social influences. They help answer questions about our behaviour and actions, while also analyzing our cognitive processes in certain situations. Social experiments conducted throughout history have also led to more understanding in the aforementioned areas. With these understandings of social behaviour, society can benefit and become aware of themselves and their mentalities.
The Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) is a concept within social psychology that assumes when someone is aggressive, it is due to a flaw in their personality as opposed to a reaction to their personal circumstances (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2015). However, there is typically a situational reason for the other person’s behavior that is not taken into account through the FAE (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2015). I have been guilty of making the FAE myself; for example, I can think of two situations where my frustration led me to believe that there were flaws in my antagonists’ characters. Recently, my mother wanted me to assist my brother in scheduling classes for the semester. Since I was annoyed that my mother was insisting that I assist him when
Thought processes can greatly influence people's social interactions, and the way that they live their lives. Cognitions develop how people perceive themselves and others on a daily basis. It is important to investigate how people attribute actions and behaviors exhibited, not only by themselves, but also those around them. These attributions shape the way an observer feels and reacts to others, and how people feel about themselves due to their own actions. The correspondence bias (fundamental attribution error) and the self-serving bias are two errors made in attribution by virtually every human being (Baron & Byrne, 2000). Both of these biases can be shown not only in adults, but also children (Guern, 1999). Even sport spectators display these biases when watching their favorite teams (Wann & Schrader, 2000). When the self-serving bias is absent in people's cognitions, they will show the self-defeating attributions. It is important to study people that demonstrate self-defeating attributions, because these individuals also show symptoms of depression (Wall & Hayes, 2000). Clearly, attributions are an imperative aspect of social cognition. Attributional bias is discussed by Marie Beesley. It is also important to investigate the factors that affect people's judgment biases in decision making and reasoning skills, which is explored by Amanda Wheeler. Because these two processes are so vital to the way in which people perceive themselves and others, and to the way a person chooses to behave, it is important to understand the factors that can cause inaccurate judgments. Judgment biases affect the way people form conclusions and make attributions about others, as well as abou...
The social psychology phenomenon that I have chosen is the spotlight effect. The spotlight effect is the belief that others are paying more attention to one's appearance and behavior than they really are (Myers, 2013). This phenomenon occurs more in adolescence and in situations such as public speaking or if a person has a change in appearance (i.e. a blemish or a “bad” haircut). The spotlight effect particularly interests me because I have experienced this phenomenon and I have seen many of my friends and family members experience it as well. I feel that it is fascinating that people feel that others are paying more attention to them than they actually are and that we see ourselves as center stage (Myers, 2013).
Throughout the lifetime of an average human being, one will meet thousands of people, form hundreds of acquaintances, make many close friends, and have multiple romantic relationships. The idea that what encourages an individual to voluntarily turn an acquaintance into a close friend, or into a romantic partner, is that the relationship is seen as profitable is called the Social Exchange Theory. The basis of Social Exchange Theory is that individuals tend to choose to form or continue relationships where the rewards outweigh the costs of the relationship. I chose the Social Exchange theory for analysis because I saw a direct application of it in my recent personal life. Throughout this paper, I will be analyzing the application of this theory
Social psychologist references several theories for the explanations of prosocial behavior. Norms theories; pro-social behavior is that which benefits society and we help others because we are motivated to act in accordance with the norm of helping those in need (Clarke, 2003, p.24). Reciprocity norm: maintaining fairness in relationships; People might learn that if they supply help, they will receive help in return (Fiske, 2010, p. 345); norm of social responsibility: people are responsible for one another’s welfare (Fiske, 2010, p. 368); norm of social justice: we should help only when others deserve assistance. Another theory is the theory of norm activation; and it attempts to predict when people will
The processing of social knowledge, perceiving, thinking, judging and explaining objects, events, relationships and issues in social word is known as social cognition. (Buchanan, et all 2007)
applied to this episode, but for now it is best to comprehend how the Social Exchange theory works.
In conclusion, humans use attribution to explain causal relationships in the world and to explain these relationships situational or dispositional factors are used. The two errors in attribution that are most commonly made are the fundamental attribution which involves overestimating the role of dispositional factors and underestimating the role situational factors and self- serving bias which is when people take credit for their successes by attributing them to dispositional factors, and dissociate themselves from their failures by associating them situational factors.
How the Attribution Theory in an attempt to assign meaning/understanding to events on the basis of eith...
Social psychology is an in-depth study of socialization. Gordon Allport (1985) defined it a discipline that utilizes scientific methods to understand as well as explain how thoughts, feelings and behaviors of human beings are influenced by the actual, implied or imagined presence of other people (Smith & Mackie, 2000). Cantril (1934) regards it as being the scientific learning o...
Attribution theory suggests that when we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused. That determination depends largely on three factors: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency. Our perceptions of people differ from our perceptions of inanimate objects.