Attributional Bias

Attributional biases are cognitive biases which affect attribution -- the way we determine who or what was responsible for an event or action. Such biases typically rely on actor/observer differences, which is the way people involved in an action and those outside of it view things differently. Often they are caused by asymmetry in availability (frequently called "salience" in this context). The behavior of actors is easier to remember than the background settings; or, our own inner turmoil is more available to ourselves than it is to others. As a result, our judgments of attribution are often distorted along those lines. In some experiments, for example, subjects were shown only one side of a conversation or were able to see one of the faces of the conversational participants. Whomever the subjects had a better view of were judged by them as being more important, influential, and having a greater role in the conversation. Interestingly, there is some evidence that more intelligent and socially apt people are more likely to make errors in attribution. The most well-known and representative example of an attributional bias is the fundamental attribution error. Attributional biases include: See also: attribution theory, causal oversimplification, causality, list of cognitive biases

References

  • Block, J., & Funder, D. C. (1986). Social roles and social perception: Individual differences in attribution and "error." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1200-1207.

External links

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
baron brocket
uss point cruz (cve 119)
uss saidor (cve 117)
uss sicily (cve 118)
baron birdwood
baron brassey
ed blackwell
dafydd ap gruffydd
baron belstead
collin county community college district
baron bicester
jennifer love hewitt (album)
discography
zlatorog
baron bruntisfield
baron brabazon of tara
baron balfour of inchrye
dutch reformed church
california state university, east bay
baron broadbridge
phosphocreatine
nwankwo kanu
baron burden
tahoma
baron baillieu
baron bridges
let's go bang
media player classic
strong mad
baron birkett
baron brain
coach z
perspective projection distortion
solomon kadinizulu
love songs (jennifer love hewitt)
andy scott
john abraham
careflite
air ambulance
egocentric bias
copper(i) oxide
tubular bells 2003
antithrombin
king of town