Evaluate the Contribution Essay Example

Consistency, and Distinctiveness) information on attributions. In 1972, McArthur conducted an experiment to test Kelley's co-variation model of attribution using vignettes depicting sixteen distinct behavioral events. The aim was to examine how different types and levels of information affected the causal attributions made by participants. The findings from the social experiment on the vignettes revealed that individuals rely on C.

According to Kelley's theory, if a person's behavior shows high consensus, high consistency, and high distinctiveness, we will attribute it to the situation. On the other hand, if the behavior has low consensus, low consistency, and low distinctiveness, we will attribute it to dispositional factors. However, some research challenges Kelley's theory, suggesting that our judgments on behavior are often irrational and lead to the fundamental attribution error (F).

A. E. ). The F. A. E is the tendency, when explaining the behaviour of other people, to favor internal rather han external attributions (Book 1 Mapping Psychology chapter 7 pg 75). People often overemphasize the significance of disposition and underestimate the role of the situation as causes of behavior. One drawback of F. A. E. is that it is less relevant in everyday life compared to a laboratory setting. In everyday life, we acknowledge that many individuals have concealed motives and emotions that can impact their behavior in specific situations.

The actor-observer effect in attribution explores our tendency to prioritize external attributions when assessing our own behavior. Storms (1973) conducted an experiment to examine this phenomenon, where two participants conversed and were observed by two other participants. Two videos were recorded: one from the actor's viewpoint and another from the observer's perspective. Following the viewing of

one video, specific attributions were made regarding the actor's conduct.

Storms' research reveals that actors' self-perception tends to align with observers' demonstrations of the actor-observer effect, supporting the validity of perceptual explanations for this phenomenon. It should be noted, however, that the actor-observer effect is not universally applicable. Actors generally make more situational attributions compared to observers, while disparities in dispositional attributions between actors and observers, as observed in Storms' study, are less common.

The self-serving bias, studied by psychologists, refers to people attributing their success to internal factors and blaming external factors for their failures. Lau and Russell (1986) conducted a study analyzing media reports on sports pages to understand how sports players and managers explain game outcomes. The researchers hypothesized that individuals would exhibit the self-serving bias by attributing wins or losses to factors favoring their own success.

The study reveals that people tend to credit themselves for victories more frequently than external factors. This self-serving bias is influenced by multiple factors, such as a cognitive bias that shapes our beliefs based on expectations. When we invest significant effort and achieve success, it is logical to attribute our abilities to that accomplishment. Conversely, when we fail despite putting in our best efforts, we usually assign blame to external circumstances.

The self-serving bias might arise from motivational inclination, as individuals strive to enhance their self-esteem or portray themselves positively. This urge to protect or elevate one's self-esteem could be the foundation of the self-serving bias. Conversely, it can be argued that the self-serving bias is a result of having high self-esteem, thereby supporting the cognitive viewpoint.