I CAN Explain Implicit Personality Theory Fundamental Attribution

Implicit Personality Theories • Assumptions about personality that we build about a person after we know something of their central traits Believing that a happy person is also friendly Quiet people are shy Someone who speaks slowly is slow-witted Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Fundamental Attribution Error • People Assumption that another presume that the person’s actions of behavior others are (especially indicative of undesirable the "kind" of behavior) therather resultthan of a person theyisare, flawkind in the personality, the of situations that rather than situation compels theirthe behavior • EX: someone trips you, you assume they hate you (it could have been an Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 accident)

Personality Across Cultures • Assumptions people make vary widely across cultures–depending especially on whether the culture emphasizes individualism or collectivism • Other cultural differences involve • • • Status of different age groups and sexes Romantic love Locus of control Thinking vs. feeling Attribution Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Think about this…. . When you try to understand another person’s actions…. do you consider… • the situation? (as Mischel says) • the person’s inner needs, drives, motives, emotions? (as psychodynamic theories say) • the person’s basic personality characteristics? (as the trait and type theories say) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007