Ne of your hallmates, Ling, is an exchange student from Taiwan. Ling never goes out with the other students, goes to bed at 9:30
every night, and studies quietly in her room most of the time. You assume that Ling behaves the way she does because she is Asian. Which of the following attribution errors might you have committed? overattribution
attribution
non-attribution
Explanation: In a bid to form an association between certain identified characteristic or attribute observed in an individual or person, people may tend to attach the most readily available information to the cause of such behavior or character. The association made in this scenario is called the overattribution error or correspondence bias. In the scenario above, Ling's habit of going to bed at 9:30, quiet study routine was readily associated with her being Asian. This sort of attribution was made without careful study or information, but made due to the fact that the readily avaliable information about Ling was that she is Asian. Hence, reason for concluding her race to be the causal factor. This is called Overattribution.
Over-attribution is a cognitive bias. Over-attribution is the tendency that people have to attribute the behavior of other people to whatever information or whatever factor is most present to the person making the attribution.
For instance in this particular case, One is assuming Ling is highly conscientious not because she is a conscientious person, but because one has the information that Asian people tend to be highly organized and responsible.
Right there one is committing the over-attribution error.
Board of Education of Topeka, case in which on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9–0) that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits the states from denying equal protection of the laws to any person within their jurisdictions.
