Attribution Theory and Person Perception - AP Psychology

Attribution theory. Developed by Fritz Heider to understand how people make causal explanations.

Beliefs about how different traits and behaviors relate. Assumptions about personality traits that tend to occur together in people.

The tendency for an impression in one area to influence another. One positive trait creates an overall positive impression of a person.

Overemphasizing dispositional factors over situational factors. A cognitive bias where we underestimate situational influences on others' behavior.

Attributing behavior to external, environmental factors. Focuses on context rather than personality as the cause of behavior.

Attributing behavior to internal, personal traits. Focuses on personality and character as the cause of behavior.

Attributing others' actions to disposition and our own to situational factors. We judge ourselves by our circumstances but others by their character.

It leads to blaming victims for their misfortunes. Maintains belief in a fair world by attributing suffering to personal failings.

The belief that people get what they deserve. A cognitive bias that assumes fairness in life outcomes.

A generalized belief about a group of people. Oversimplified beliefs that may not reflect individual differences.

It leads to emphasizing information that confirms existing beliefs. We notice and remember information that supports our existing beliefs.

First impressions often have a lasting impact. The primacy effect makes initial judgments resistant to change.

It may cause a change in perception to reduce discomfort. We may adjust our perceptions to maintain psychological consistency.

Beliefs about how different traits and behaviors relate. Assumptions about personality traits that tend to occur together in people.

Nonverbal cues influence judgments about others' emotions and intentions. Body language and facial expressions provide information beyond verbal communication.

Schemas guide expectations and interpretations of others. Mental frameworks that organize information and shape our perceptions of others.

The process of forming impressions of others. How we develop mental representations of others based on available information.

Attribution theory. Developed by Fritz Heider to understand how people make causal explanations.

Assuming someone is lazy because they missed a deadline. Personal characteristics, not circumstances, explain the behavior.

Blaming a delay on traffic rather than poor time management. External circumstances, not personal characteristics, explain the behavior.

It helps determine if behavior is typical or unusual. Compares behavior to what most people would do in the situation.

It assesses whether behavior is specific to a situation. Determines if the person acts differently in other situations.

It evaluates if behavior is consistent across time. Examines whether the person always acts this way.

The perception of a relationship where none exists. A false perception of association between unrelated variables.

The classification of people into groups. Mental organization that simplifies social information processing.

It simplifies processing but may lead to stereotyping. Efficient but can lead to inaccurate generalizations about groups.

The favoring of one's own group over others. Preference for members of one's own social group over outsiders.

Perceiving outgroup members as more similar than ingroup members. Tendency to see less diversity in groups we don't belong to.

Motivation can influence how thoroughly we process information. High motivation leads to more careful, detailed processing of information.