Social Perception Response Paper



Read Chapter 9 & 10 in your textbook and read the Snyder, Tanke & Berscheid articles on Blackboard.  Please type (double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt font or equivalent) responses to each of the below questions. I anticipate your responses will take approximately 4 pages. Recall that I am looking for responses which demonstrate careful critical thinking - your own thoughts mixed with explicit references to the research findings mentioned in the article. Describe aspects of studies where ever possible as evidence for your views. You are required to practice citing your sources using APA style.  You can get an overview of those basics at the following website:  http://www.muhlenberg.edu/depts/psychology/FindReadCite.htm#citations



1.  Define fundamental attribution error using your own words (note - despite using your own words for the definition, you still need to cite the textbook as the source for where you learned the definition). Explain the 3 steps of the self-fulfilling prophecy/behavioral confirmation.

2.  Which dependent variable in the Snyder et al. study best demonstrates the results of behavioral confirmation (i.e., the end result in an interaction when a target falls prey to behavioral confirmation)? Explain your answer.

3.  Which dependent variable best demonstrates the reason the women confirmed the men's' expectations?  Explain your answer.

4.  Snyder et al. suggest that the fundamental attribution error might be a "self-erasing" error.  Explain what they meant by this.  (Hint-- Another way of phrasing this question is: how could self-fulfilling prophecy make an incorrect assumption generated by the fundamental attribution error eventually become a correct assessment?)