![]() However, imagine that Jamie was just laid off from work due to company downsizing. This is an internal or dispositional explanation. Instead of returning their spouse’s kind greeting, Jamie yells, “Leave me alone!” Why did Jamie yell? How would someone committing the fundamental attribution error explain Jamie’s behaviour? The most common response is that Jamie is a mean, angry, or unfriendly person (traits). To better understand, imagine this scenario: Jamie returns home from work, and opens the front door to a happy greeting from their spouse Morgan who inquires how the day has been. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution error (Ross, 1977 Riggio & Garcia, 2009). They tend to fail to recognize when the behaviour of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. They tend to assume that the behaviour of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behaviour of others. According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations-or attributions-for the behaviour of other people. Why do you think this is? We tend to think that people are in control of their own behaviours, and, therefore, any behaviour change must be due to something internal, such as their personality, habits, or temperament. In the United States, the predominant culture tends to favour a dispositional approach in explaining human behaviour. In fact, the field of social-personality psychology has emerged to study the complex interaction of internal and situational factors that affect human behaviour (Mischel, 1977 Richard, Bond, & Stokes-Zoota, 2003). Modern approaches to social psychology, however, take both the situation and the individual into account when studying human behaviour (Fiske, Gilbert, & Lindzey, 2010). ![]() Social psychologists have tended to take the situationist perspective, whereas personality psychologists have promoted the dispositionist perspective. An internal factor is an attribute of a person and includes personality traits and temperament. In contrast, dispositionism holds that our behaviour is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958). Situationism is the view that our behaviour and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. Subfields of psychology tend to focus on one influence or behaviour over others. ![]() Situational and Dispositional Influences on Behaviourīehaviour is a product of both the situation (e.g., cultural influences, social roles, and the presence of bystanders) and of the person (e.g., personality characteristics). In this chapter, we discuss the intrapersonal processes of self-presentation, cognitive dissonance and attitude change, and the interpersonal processes of conformity and obedience, aggression and altruism, and, finally, love and attraction. Thus, social psychology studies individuals in a social context and how situational variables interact to influence behaviour. Social psychologists focus on how people conceptualize and interpret situations and how these interpretations influence their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours (Ross & Nisbett, 1991). Interpersonal topics (those that pertain to dyads and groups) include helping behaviour ( Figure SP.2), aggression, prejudice and discrimination, attraction and close relationships, and group processes and intergroup relationships. ![]() Intrapersonal topics (those that pertain to the individual) include emotions and attitudes, the self, and social cognition (the ways in which we think about ourselves and others). The field of social psychology studies topics at both the intra- and interpersonal levels. If we are in a new situation or are unsure how to behave, we will take our cues from other individuals. Essentially, people will change their behaviour to align with the social situation at hand. According to the American Psychological Association (n.d.), social psychologists “are interested in all aspects of personality and social interaction, exploring the influence of interpersonal and group relationships on human behaviour.” Throughout this chapter, we will examine how the presence of other individuals and groups of people impacts a person’s behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. Social psychology examines how people affect one another, and it looks at the power of the situation. ![]()
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