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Theory-based bias correction in dispositional inference: The fundamental attribution error is dead, long live the correspondence bias
Abstract
Social psychological research has repeatedly shown that perceivers draw correspondent dispositional inferences from observed behaviour even when this behaviour was highly constrained by situational factors (i.e., the correspondence bias). Even though this phenomenon has been proposed to be multiply determined, the most common explanation is still that perceivers ubiquitously consider situational factors to have little impact on human behaviour (i.e., the fundamental attribution error). The present chapter offers a critical analysis of the available empirical evidence on the correspondence bias from the perspective of theory-based bias correction. It is concluded that the correspondence bias results from a number of different processes associated with the application of perceivers' causal theories about situational influences on human behaviour. However, there is no evidence for the assumption that the correspondence bias is due to causal theories implying that situational factors have little impact on human behaviour. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Gawronski, B.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gawronski, Bertram
- ORCID
- Gawronski, Bertram
- Venue
- European Review of Social Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2004-01
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 183-217
- ISSN
- 1046-3283 (ISSN-L)
- 1479-277X
- OpenAlex
- W1963540280
- Semantic Scholar
- 6e093027038bcaa0cdf314a6b2b91acd94aa12cc
- Cited by
- 162
- References
- 133
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 6.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Review of Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychology of Social Influence
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Keywords
- correspondence bias, fundamental attribution error, dispositional inference, causal theories, social perception
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