actor observer effect

8/20/2019 Actor Observer Effect

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Actor-Observer Efect: The tendency for actors to view theirown behavior as situationally caused and for observers to perceivethe behavior of actors as being due to their dispositions (e.g.,

ability, personality)

E.g., for observers: Acts (behaviors) = Dispositions(personalitytrait attributions)

!hat is the actor"observer e#ect$


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• Information access: Actors have %ore infor%ation aboutthe%selves than do observers (e.g., how consistent presentbehavior is to past behavior)

•

Perceptual dierences: Actors notice the situationsaround the% that in&uence the% to act, while observers noticethe actors

•

Motivational bias: E'planations for ones successes thatcredit internal, dispositional factors, as opposed to failures,which are e'plained by e'ternal, situational factors (e.g., badluc)

*+elf"estee% %aintenance self"presentation reasons-

!hat are the easons for the Actor"/bserver E#ect$


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0 eversing Actors and /bservers1erspectives 0

2ow was this acco%plished$


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0 eversing Actors and /bservers1erspectives (cont.)0

3indings$eorientation hada greater i%pacton participantsview of

situational factors


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4ssues4%plications$

0 eversing Actors and /bservers1erspectives (cont.)0

4ncreased appreciation of situational factors (observers)

• 5egal settings (e.g., court cases and %itigating factors)

6ouples therapy

ole of a %otivational bias in more emotionally-laden settings

1ossible negative eects of self"observation (e.g. , greater stressregarding alcoholics, depressive clients)


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Danger of therapists dispositional views of clients (along withthe decreased situational attributions of self"viewed clients) """%utual underesti%ation of situational factors

!hy were the dispositional evaluations not a#ected %uch$

4ssues4%plications (cont.)$


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0 /veresti%ating3ailure 0

!hat is the “Spotlight Eect”:

1erception of our behavior as 7sticing out8

/thers will attend to and notice our behavior as being di#erent(an outlier)

5onely 9uy estaurant +cene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXyAdToiYSkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXyAdToiYSk


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/veresti%ating 2arshness +tudies

Study 1:

scenarios with socialblunders """

• +etting of library alar%• 3orgot to bring gift atparty• +een with cheap storebag

atings (predictions)provided by:

+elf (actors)/bserversrd party ratings

!hy rd party

ratings$

ule out possibility of a self"presentation

bias


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Table ;Mean Composite Index Ratings of Respondents in Scenarios 1,2, and 3

+cenario Actors /bserversrd"person prediction ratingprediction

;. 5ibrary incident .?;.>@

. E%pty"handed guest B.C .


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Study 2:

•

9etting acuainted e'ercise and perfor%ance on aanagra% tas• atings on ; traits before and after the anagra%tas

/veresti%ating 2arshness +tudies(cont.)

3indings$

Actors (solvers) e'pected to be rated %ore harshly by observers,especially after their (poor) perfor%ance on the anagra% tas

6uriously, actors (solvers) e'pected to be rated harshly BEFORE theyperfor%ed the anagra% tas

Actors overesti%ated harsh thoughts by observers and underesti%ated

5ower ratings =%ore harsh views


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+tudy (uiF +how paradig%):

/riginal +tudy by oss """

• uestioner (writes a set of ;? reasonably diGcultuestions)

• 6ontestant (has to answer the uestions by theuestioner)

• /bservers

Told that thisassign%entwas rando%it wasnt

oss initial Hndings = uestioners were perceived as %orenowledgeable on a general nowledge test by contestants

and observers


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+tudy (uiF +how paradig%):

To test for role of the3ocusingillusion$

1eople place greater weight on speciHc 7focal8 sti%uliand less weight to other 7non"focal8 factors (e.g.,relevant situational ones) in %aing their predictionsabout how others will rate the%

3indings$

Defocused ga%e show contestants believed they would be rated better byuestioners and observers

Those in control condition were overl focused on their oor erfor%ance "" e' ected


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+tudy


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+o%e 4ssues to 6onsider

!ould people overesti%ate the degree to which others wouldrate the% after a

successful perfor%ance$ 4s this co%%on$*2igh uality shopping bag (yes) versus good anagra% perfor%ance(Io) -

4s is of evolutionary value to overesti%ate the harshevaluation of others (e.g., to avoid being banished fro% thegroup)

""" +igniHcant diagnostic role of negative infor%ation in %aingi%pressions

Do people hold a general cynical set of beliefs about thebehavior and evaluations of others$ *Enhances i%age of observers-

4%plications of overly harsh Judg%ents for actors$

•

Avoidance, li%ited choice of behaviors by actors (fear,apprehension) K regret issue

actor observer effect

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