AP Psychology Unit 4: Attribution Theory & Perception

Introduction

• Review of Attribution Theory and Perception in Unit 4 Topic 1.
• Emphasized having guided notes for the lecture.

Attribution Theory

• Question: Why do we feel the need to explain others' behaviors?
• Two Types of Attributions:
  • Dispositional Attributions (Internal): Intelligence, attitude, personality.
  • Situational Attributions (External): Environmental factors, weather, world events.
• Examples:
  • Situational: Blaming external factors for poor grades.
  • Dispositional: Blaming laziness for poor grades.

Key Concepts in Attribution Theory

• Self-Serving Bias:

  • Success attributed to internal factors.
  • Failure attributed to external factors.
  • Protects self-esteem but may hinder learning.

• Actor-Observer Bias:

  • Use situational attributions for oneself.
  • Use dispositional attributions for others.

• Fundamental Attribution Error:

  • Overemphasizing internal factors when judging others.

Explanatory Style

• Optimistic Explanatory Style:

  • Bad events seen as temporary.
  • Attributes success to internal factors.

• Pessimistic Explanatory Style:

  • Bad events seen as permanent.
  • Attributes success to external factors.

Locus of Control

• External Locus of Control:

  • Belief that outside factors control outcomes.
  • Can lead to learned helplessness, stress, or acceptance.

• Internal Locus of Control:

  • Belief in personal control over outcomes.
  • Promotes initiative and responsibility.

Person Perception

• Mere Exposure Effect:

  • Repeated exposure leads to increased liking.
  • Familiarity plays a key role.

• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy:

  • Expectations influence behavior, causing them to come true.
  • Affects relationships, achievements, and self-esteem.

Social Comparison

• Upward Comparison:

  • Comparing to someone better off.
  • Motivates improvement but can cause discouragement if gap is too large.

• Downward Comparison:

  • Comparing to someone worse off.
  • Boosts self-esteem but may reduce motivation to improve.

• Relative Deprivation:

  • Feeling worse off when comparing oneself to others.
  • Reference groups influence perception of personal situation.

Additional Resources

• Practice quizzes and resources available in the Ultimate Review Packet.
• Importance of active learning and reviewing concepts through available materials.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to utilize review packets and community resources.
• Mr. Sin thanks the audience and invites them to continue engaging with the content.