Part 1:
Week 7, you're almost halfway there!
The next chapter we will discuss in class discusses a lot of research areas in social psychology (Social Thinking and Social Influence, Chapter 7). One of the topics discussed in the chapter is the fundamental attribution error.
For this week's assignment, I want you to familiarize yourself with the fundamental attribution error, as well as apply the concept in relation to individuals who live in poverty (as we often use the fundamental attribution error for this population without even realizing).
This assignment may take you a little longer than most, but I think it's fun! Please complete the following:
- What is the fundamental attribution error?
- Read this blog entry on the fundamental attribution error and the poor.
- Here's something fun...take a poverty simulation online here. The website will direct you through the simulation, but it essentially gives you a taste of what it is like to live in poverty. Please pay attention to the little tidbits of information they sometimes give you after you make a decision on what to do, as they sometimes relate to information we've discussed in class (try to incorporate these in the step below).
- Provide your reaction to the simulation (e.g., was it difficult, what did you learn, etc.).
- Read this brief blog post on poverty and the fundamental attribution error, paying particular attention to the last paragraph.
- What are your thoughts on this way to approach policy making concerning poverty?
- Again, I want you to make a list of keywords you used in this assignment.
Just a fun little tidbit:
I just saw this article that presents some research that looked at word clouds on Facebook. It's pretty interesting and relates to a lot of things you have been discussing on the blog (social media and narcissism, introversion/extroversion online, etc.). It also looks at gender and age differences in the type of things one posts on their status. Enjoy :)
If you don't already, you should consider following The Huffington Post and/or HuffPost Living on Facebook. They frequently post things relevant to what we have discussed in class.
If you don't already, you should consider following The Huffington Post and/or HuffPost Living on Facebook. They frequently post things relevant to what we have discussed in class.
As in the previous weeks, please respond to any 2 existing blog posts (not including this one or posts that you have responded to previously) to get credit for you "blog comments." Each post has its own instructions to follow in regard to commenting. Note: Replying to other students' comments on blog posts does not count toward your grade, although I encourage you to engage in conversation with your colleagues.
This assignment is due on Monday, Oct. 7 at 11:59p.
I couldn’t believe some of the choices I had to make while taking the poverty stimulation. I had to make so many tough decisions that left a terrible feeling in my stomach. I became stressed and angry just think about it! I could see how this could cause acute and chronic stress. I also could see how ones confidence could be stripped away through money issues. I didn’t even have enough money to let my child attend a field trip. I also didn’t even have enough money to save my sick pet. I couldn’t stop feeling guilty for every poor decision I made. I also found it shocking that I was unable to pay for medical treatment as well as dental care. Lastly, I found it heart breaking when I bought my groceries. I was on such a tight budget that I could hardly provide for my child. I also felt extremely guilty when I would hang up on collection agencies. I couldn’t afford my electricity or monthly housing. Reading the blog also really hit home form me. I am from Florida and most of my family is from Orlando. Driving to school I would see at least fifteen homeless people. I was always so use to it that it never really bothered me or affected me. In Orlando, groups of homeless people would walk to a shelter at night. I would drive past them occasionally and see it firsthand. As I said, it never occurred to me that this wasn’t normal. I remember thinking that it was there fault and that they were lazy. I learned that my ideas on the homeless were vastly wrong. I discovered that through an eighth grade class project. We made hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and delivered them to a homeless shelter. We also collected clothes for weeks. When we dropped all our items off the hundred or so people there broke down in tears. That’s when I realized they had done nothing to deserve being there. In the blog, it discusses how the fundamental attribution error is such an issue. This is when one judges and makes assumptions sole on what they see and less on the effect of a situation. I believe that more students should be made aware of the devastation of poverty. I was taught a huge lesson as an eighth grader. The policy that they want to put in place would help dramatically broaden a student’s idea of the homeless. Words- acute and chronic stress, aggression, self-actualization, confidence
ReplyDeleteThe poverty stimulation was all about making tough decisions. The decisions that I had to make were terrible. Choosing between giving your kid money so that they could go on a school field trip, or saving the money in case of a greater need. The stimulation made me realize what people in poverty have to go through. You honestly never think about all of the life struggles that these type of people are going through, but it seems like it would be very difficult. I could see how the people in poverty would be very stressed. I wouldn't be surprised if these people ended up with some type of psychological problem from all of the stress and guilt that they have in their life. The adults especially. When I was doing the stimulation I felt horrible when I had to pick where my money was going and this was just a stimulation. I can't imagine what it would be like to have this actually happen in life. I thought that the stimulation was difficult in that I had to choose so many difficult decisions that would reflect the rest of my life. In this stimulation I learned that poverty is an important and serious issue that affects many people around the world. Whenever I think that I am having a bad day I just need to think back to this stimulation and realize that there are people out there that have it much worse than I do. Reading the blog post on poverty and the fundamental attribution error was interesting. I went to Orlando about 3 years ago when I went to Disneyland. The article talks about how there is constantly homeless people walking around the area, and there was. When I was there I didn't really think much about it because I knew that it was expected to have many homeless people in Florida. But when I did think about it I was always thinking about how it was their fault that they were homeless. My opinion followed the fundamental attribution error. But I couldn't help it. After reading this article, I now realize that the fundamental attribution error is a huge issue. I think the approach policy making concerning poverty would be a good thing to do. That way students would realize what people in poverty are actually going through, and they will then realize that it is not entirely their fault that they are homeless.
ReplyDeleteWords: Stress, fundamental attribution error, coping, depression, anxiety.
Don't forget to define the fundamental attribution error!
DeleteI was surprised how difficult this poverty stimulation was! I never realized how little expenses can add up so quickly for an individual. I also found myself getting a little stressed making these decisions even though it was only an online stimulation. It was very stressful on the mind and body of the worker and took a toll on confidence trying to not only provide for one person but also a child. I also felt completely responsible and guilty for each decision I had to make. It was very difficult and I never thought things could be so difficult for a person living in poverty. Living in a town of 35,000 in Illinois, I have not come across too much homeless people unless I made a trip to Chicago. This exercise was a huge wake up call for me that the problem of homelessness is still going on all around me.
ReplyDeleteI think that this approach regarding poverty is a good one because most teenagers, like I was, are unaware of the problem and may not understand homelessness and poverty. When I was younger, I thought that people in poverty or homeless did it by choice and were alcohol or drug addicts. I think that bringing young adults face to face with the problem and helping them to understand it will help to prevent these children from following the path to poverty.
Key words: stress, mental and physical health, confidence, alcohol and drug abuse
What is the fundamental attribution error?
DeleteFundamental Attribution error is how we tend to revert to stereotypical, trait based, personality driven, and dis-positional factors when explaining a particular behavior. We tend to downplay or ignore the power of situations. This simulation was definitely eye opening. I figured that one month wouldn't be that long of a time going on a set salary. Well maybe for one person that would not have been a problem, but I had children as well. I felt like I could never get ahead in my simulation. Just when I thought I had everything figured out something would come up and it was only day 10. I realized that many of these people have to make decisions that involve putting their health, social life, education, and themselves on the back burner. I hated making the decision about whether to give my child ice cream or not or buying them the shoes they wanted. When my daughter came home and told me the kids were making fun of her because she got free meals, I couldn't just decide not to feed her so I opted in paying the $3 a day. My chest pains, tooth aches, and depression problems just seemed to linger on and I thought I would be able to work through it. I lost my car because I had expired tags and I almost lost my house. I made it out of the month with $4. I did qualify for benefits but they would not start until the following week. I hope that my life is never put into that position. I think my blood pressure raised just from doing the simulation. If that was my everyday life, I wouldn't even be able to image.
ReplyDeleteI think that this intervention strategy could be very beneficial to limiting the fundamental attribution error. The ability to see first hand someone in a poverty situation is really eye opening. I took a trip to New Orleans in the summer of 2012 and coming from South Dakota I don't see many homeless people. Maybe the occasional hitchhiker along the interstate but not very often. In New Orleans, poverty is a huge issue. We were walking down the street and a man had been stabbed outside of a restaurant. Not knowing anything about this man, I wanted to call an ambulance right away but my adviser had said the owners of the restaurant see him everyday. He is homeless and has no food, family, or house. He took it upon himself to physically harm his body in order to get a place to sleep over night and a warm meal. I didn't understand why someone would do that to themselves but after thinking about there current living conditions, those individuals are desperate for whatever they have to do. Unfortunately, the people from around New Orleans knew that he would get to the hospital for adequate care but never be able to pay the expenses. We would drive under bridges and see mobs of people making themselves at home with the little that they had. This experience was very eye opening especially when I came back to South Dakota. I realize that sometimes people can't control where life takes them. One missed paycheck, one forgotten bill can totally change your plans for the future. I think that this act would really open the eyes of young individuals to cut back on making the fundamental attribution error and realize sometimes life can be out of your control.
Words: Fundamental Attribution error, depression, assumptions, environmental factors, pressure
The fundamental attribution error occurs when we make inferences about a person's behavior without taking situational factors into consideration, overestimating the role of dispositional factors. Basically, it's the tendency for us to attribute poor personality traits to people based on their actions rather than the environmental factors that may contribute to those behaviors.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation allowed me to live in poverty and realize the hardships one must overcome just to get by on a daily basis. I ended with only $216 in my bank account, a rent payment due the following day, no cell phone, no health insurance, and a weekly income of $125. The simulation was extremely difficult because every day there was a new challenge that must be considered. It was difficult not only to pay the bills that were due, but also to provide a decent life for my child. He/she was able to attend a friend's birthday party, but was unable to bring a gift because I couldn't afford to purchase one. he/she was already getting made fun of for being in the free lunch program; just imagine how they felt when they were unable to bring a birthday gift to the party. Children can be terribly hurtful towards one another and I would absolutely hate not being able to provide a decent life for my child. Before doing this simulation i was aware of the struggles people must face when they are unable to provide for their families, but i was unaware of the extremity of the situation. there were several times throughout the simulation that I was forced to choose which bills I would be able to pay and which services I would have to be removed from. I personally have gone through similar situations in my life, but my parents were always there to offer me an interest free loan with no set payments. If I didn't have them helping me I honestly don't know what I would have done to get by. The economic problems that people struggle with are extremely burdensome and cause an increase in unnecessary stress. having to live with such high levels of stress on a daily basis will eventually cause health problems or depression, which will be difficult to treat considering people living in poverty most likely do not have health insurance. It's upsetting that people could be living a comfortable life one day and barely surviving the next due to some unpreventable situational factors.
IT WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO POST MY ENTRY IN ENTIRETY. THE REST IS AS FOLLOWS:
DeleteThe article provided that discusses the fundamental attribution error's impact on people's view of the homeless makes several valid points. I don't want to say that I never make use of the fundamental attribution error; however, I do not believe all homeless people are just looking for a handout. As a stereotype people tend to believe that if you give a homeless person money they will use it for alcohol or something pointless. What people don't realize is that when homeless people are asking for food they will certainly take anything you can provide them, not necessarily just money. When I come across homeless people by stoplights or overpasses I stop at the nearest McDonald's and buy them a sack full of dollar menu food. If I am on a strict time schedule I offer them the soda or bottled water I have in my vehicle. They seldom ask for anything else and instead show admiration and appreciation. Also, on several occasions when I am returning to Vermillion with a car full of groceries from my parents I make it home empty-handed because the homeless person on the Vermillion exit needed the food more than me. I have also given hitchhikers rides when I am already traveling in the same direction as them. I have met some wonderful people through these experiences who just happen to hit rock bottom and are trying to make it through the day. They are anything but freeloaders and struggle more in one day than any of us do in months. I think the article makes an excellent suggestion that high school aged students need to volunteer at homeless shelters and soup kitchens to increase their emotional intelligence and reduce the impact of the fundamental attribution error. People need to be more open minded and less judgmental of others when they oblivious of their situation. You can't always judge a book by its cover!
Key Words:
Fundamental Attribution Error
Behavior
Situational Factors
Dispositional Factors
Personality Traits
Stress
Depression
Emotional Intelligence
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain other people's behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors. In other words, it's the tendency to overemphasize internal explanations for the behavior of others, not taking into account the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe fundamental attribution error and the poor article is a great source for putting the fundamental attribution error into other words. This article says that we put bad attitudes on the person, not the context, because it's easier. The way this article describes the fundamental attribution error makes it much easier for me to understand.
The poverty simulation put poverty into a new perspective for me. The decisions one has to make in poverty are all so very important to thrive. These decisions create a great deal of stress, not just acute stress, but mostly chronic stress. This chronic stress can be the daily issue of where you're going to get your next meal. Being in poverty can severely impact your self-esteem. Never being able to make your way back up to comfortable living can affect not only your self-esteem, but also your self-concept.
After reading the article about poverty and the fundamental attribution error, I believe that requiring high schoolers to volunteer with the homeless population is a great idea. The exposure, as the article said, would help the students see beyond the homeless aspect of these people. There's much more to homeless people than the fact their homeless, every person has a story. Forcing students at that age to interact with the homeless would help them see this.
Keywords: fundamental attribution error, attitudes, acute stress, chronic stress, stress, self-esteem, self-concept
The Fundamental Attribution Error is the tendency to explain other people's behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors. The first blog discussed the Fundamental Attribution Error and said the primary reason people engage in such behavior is because of its convenience. It is easier to attribute the behavior to the person than it is to consider the context of the situation and then decide if the behavior portrayed by the person would be considered fair in the situation.
ReplyDeleteI thought the simulation was very interesting. I choose to be a warehouse worker and make $306 dollars a month. I had to make what I considered to be difficult decisions but I know that it would be much more difficult experiencing the situation. I opted out of health insurance, skipped my grandfather's memorial, risked my child going hungry, applied for food stamps, choose not to take a sick day, etc. All were events that would result in high stress levels. The thing that stood out to me was the decisions I had to make that affected my child. I tried to put them before myself and provide for them as normal of a childhood as possible (ex:playing sports, being involved in the gifted program). It brought to light how a child's development may be impacted by living in poverty. Their self esteem, self-concept, personality, cognitive and emotional development,and ability to cope are just some of the things that may be affected.
The second blog stated something that stood out to me. It said that many people judge but they could be one missed paycheck or unexpected life event away from being in the same situation. I never truly considered that until after I read it. As for the approach, I completely agree with it. Growing up, my Dad would sign our family up to volunteer at a place called Family to Family. We are given a "shopping list" of clothes needed for a family and go to the warehouse where donated clothes were sorted and stored. Then we would go to the warehouse and "shop" for the family. Afterwards we would go to their house, meet them, and provide them with new clothing. Throughout high school and college, I have volunteered at shelters and it is very humbling and eye opening. It does help you to be less judgmental of others and learn not to use the Fundamental Attribution Error. I think if others partook in the approach they would come to the same conclusion.
Keywords: Fundamental Attribution Error, behavior, personal factors, situational factors, stress, self-esteem, self-concept, personality, cognitive development, emotional development, and cope.
Fundamental attribution error is when people make false assumptions about a person based on only limited knowledge. These assumptions are based on what people see on the outside. They do not consider the environment that the person is in nor do they consider any other circumstances that have contributed to someone’s hardship. This error can be very hurtful and leads to many negative stereotypes. All of these negative stereotypes can result in a negative self-image and low self-esteem for the person being attacked.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the simulation is one of surprise. I have never been in a place to make difficult financial decisions. It was very hard for me to realize that there were many fun things that needed to be given up in order to pay enormous bills. It was difficult to afford health insurance or support a child. I found it nearly impossible to afford even the small things for my child in the simulation. I did believe that it would be beneficial to allow the child to play on a sports team, but I didn’t realize how much buying the uniform would put me in the hole. Another part of the simulation that was extremely difficult for me was the grocery shopping. I basically could not afford more that bread and Raman noodles. At the end of the simulation, I only had two dollars and my bills were due the next day. I had just asked for an iou from a friend. This happened even though I thought I was being very careful with my money. It was a major surprise.
By participating in the simulation, I have much more respect for people of lower income. I can’t imagine the chronic stress these people feel day in and day out worrying if they will have enough to support their family and themselves. Sickness, injury or other unexpected stress causes even more acute stress. All of this stress will really be detrimental to coping resources. This can lead to a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety and learned hopelessness among those in poverty.
I believe that legislation is needed to help others understand that those in poverty are in dire need of help. People in poverty appreciate any help, and something as small as a five dollar bill can make or break the bank. I believe that somehow lessons about poverty need to be added to school curriculums. Just simple lessons or make children complete the animation that I completed earlier. This will help them understand that everyone struggles and needs help sometimes.
Words: fundamental attribution error, stereotypes, self-esteem, self-image, chronic stress, acute stress, depression, learned helplessness, coping, anxiety
Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain others’ behavior as a result of personal rather than situational factors.
ReplyDeleteThe poverty simulation was a little eye-opening. Growing up in a small town, there were classmates and families around town that I knew that could not hide their struggles with poverty, so I’ve seen it happen before my eyes. I’ve always known that those people had to make choices like that, but to actually put myself in the situation was a little emotional. Growing up, I came from a family that definitely had enough money to get by. I always thought we had less money that we actually had because of the way my mom acted with our money. My parents got divorced when I was about four and my mom was a single mom until I was about ten, and then she got remarried. I would get frustrated when she wouldn’t take me school clothes shopping at the stores that my friends got to go to, but at rummage sales. I hated when she wouldn’t let me buy my friends expensive birthday gifts to win their affection. Sometimes I hated that we ate the same things quite often. I didn’t learn until later why she had made these choices, but because my mom spent her money the way she did and worked two jobs and kept us out of some things was so she could attend the things we did, and so that we could have it better off than she did. She never spent any of the child support from my dad EVER, until I needed braces. Because of this, I don’t have to think about loans for school or my car for the first few years, which is more of a luxury than it sounds. Putting myself in the situation to make some of the choices my mom had to make, when we had more money than the people used in this simulation to begin with, has made me even more appreciative. I used to be pretty judgmental of some of the families that showed up to the food pantry I volunteered at in Britton. Now, I understand more. It’s easy to take part in social categorization and stereotypes when you’re not in the situation those people are in.
My opinion on the approach addressed in the second article to reduce fundamental attribution error is somewhat agreeable. I did volunteer in those types of places in high school and it is definitely an eye-opener, but I still don’t know how to put my new outlook into action to help those around me. I feel like we need to be informed as to how we can help them get OUT of the situation, not help them get by in their current situation. It’s definitely a good place to start, though. I had to write a paper for a scholarship in which I had to identify what I thought was the biggest problem in society today and how we could go about fixing it. I wrote about welfare and addiction. I feel as though what I wrote about in that paper relates to this problem a little bit. I do believe in helping those who need it out, and I do believe that some people did nothing wrong to become poor. However, a lot of these poor people out there don’t get the benefits they need, or don’t get enough, because of people who DID do something wrong or need a different kind of help out of their situation: addicts. Drug and alcohol abuse has caused addicts to use their welfare as an enabler. I have an alcoholic in my immediate family, and I understand that although he is to blame for starting up the habit, he is not to blame for the disease he cannot escape on his own. Addiction is a disease, just like cancer. It needs to be treated. If we could put some money to treatment for a lot of these people- REAL, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, they’d not only put their welfare to better use, but be better able to hang on to a job. We’re all humans; we all need a little help sometimes. People who need this kind of help should not be more looked down on than I am with the kind of help I need.
Key Terms: fundamental attribution error, social categorization, stereotypes, drug and alcohol abuse
I didn’t think that it would be too hard, but I was fairly difficult. I ran out of money on the 7th day. I learned that sometimes life throws stuff at you and you just have to deal with it the best way you can. It’s going to be tough but you just have to keep moving. I also think that land lords should not be allowed to raise your rent without any reason or without notice. There were a lot of decisions I had to make where I had to swallow my pride. I chose to take the neighbors coat instead of be cold. I also chose to apply for the scholarship for my child instead of pay in full. The decisions that needed to be made where tough I can now see why people are depressed and can’t always get back on their feet. Many of those day to day decisions could be considered both chronic and acute stressors.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to spread awareness about the fundamental attribution error. Having students volunteer at homeless shelters and soup kitchens sounded like a good idea. This would help the kids to realize those people are just like us. I think the kids would also use this in their day to day situations, not just towards homeless people.
Words- chronic and acute stress, fundamental attribution error, depression.
What is the fundamental attribution error?
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error is when we judge other's behaviors by using personal reasons rather than situational reasons.
ReplyDeleteThis simulation was very eye-opening. It puts it into perspective all of the costs and things that can "come up" in life. While most people automatically associate the poor with the common stereotype of laziness or drug and alcohol dependency, this simulation did not contain any of these aspects. Unexpected costs were a large part of the experiment and I found it hard to decide on when doing the simulation because sometimes it meant not letting your child bring a birthday present to a party or let them be on the sports team at school. It was difficult to have to say no to things that would be effecting my child. It also became a realization all of all the situational aspects that could occur such as your car, bills, or health. I lasted until the 27th day but the reason why I did is because I did not pay all of my bills and made other risky choices such as not getting new registration for my car. What caused me to go broke was paying for my mother's medical bill because I don't think that I could turn down my own mother when it came to her health. There were lots of things that I wanted to be able to buy or get but it was not a possibility because of all of the circumstances that came about. I learned from this simulation that someone may have a job but that doesn't mean that they don't have other things going on in their life that cause them to be very low in money. It isn't their fault that they do not have money. There are lots of expenses in life and not everyone has the money handed to them.
I think that this would be a very good policy to put into practice. I think that having people volunteer and experience the soup kitchens and homeless shelters would really put things into perspective and help them to understand rather than following through with the fundamental attribution error. By actually seeing and talking with the homeless or poor, I think that it would help people to be more understanding, especially at a younger age. If these understandings are made at a younger age, I think that it will effect the type of person they are when they become adults.
Key Terms: fundamental attribution error, stereotype, drug/alcohol dependency, situational aspects
I knew that living in poverty would be tough, but deciding whether or not to pay your bills or buy food is so hard to decide on. I did my first hit and run in this simulation because I couldn’t afford to pay the damages! I did choose my child over helping a neighbor for money and going out with my friends, because I know what my priorities need to be. Except, what if I couldn’t buy food for my child or we were evicted, I wouldn’t know what to do. This makes you have a lot more sympathy for those that are in poverty. I know I will help someone in poverty if the situation presents itself, but if I’m the one in poverty then I will probably be too proud to ask for help until it gets so bad I can’t even feed or give myself shelter. Some of the choices in the simulation I would have made differently, such as when we were asked to donate $20 to help an ill co-worker. I clicked on the choice to say I forgot my wallet, but I would have probably told them the truth that I just can’t afford it because that’s mine and my child’s meals for the week. At the end of the activity, I had only $128 left and it said that rent was due the next day. If that was actually true, I would talk to the landlord and come up with some sort of payment plan. I would keep up with the payment, but maybe if it could be paid right after I get paid from work. I think I have a really good idea of what being in poverty is like but I can’t even imagine what it would actually be like in real life. I would probably try to find another job like mowing my neighbor’s lawns every week or cleaning their houses to try and make some extra cash. This activity did open my eyes with some of the choices I had to make due to not having any money.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this approach because many people don’t understand what poverty is really like and how it affects people until they see it first hand for themselves. I think a lot of adults understand poverty but teenagers are those most blind to it. They don’t always understand what their parents are going through and it can make it difficult for them to understand certain decisions their parents have to make. Having them volunteer at soup kitchens and homeless shelters is a great idea. Maybe I only think that because it’s something that I would be willing to do, but I think it could be really beneficial for some students and really change their attitudes about money and making right decisions. I can relate or understand poverty due to knowing people who really don’t know when their next meal is going to be or they lost their house. My family and I offered our help but they never wanted to take it because they were too proud and pretended like everything was fine. Their two young daughters were suffering from it and we could definitely tell. It just breaks my heart when families have tough times like that and they won’t accept the slightest thing from anyone.
Key Terms: Stress (chronic and acute), depression, physical health, mental health, behavior, self-esteem, situational factors
What is the fundamental attribution error?
DeleteFundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain other people's behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors. Or in other words when someone assumes something about another person with no or limited knowledge about them.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the simulation. I found it to be a reality for most Americans today. I was able to make it through the month with $749 left. There were a few parts in the simulation where I could have made a better decision but like most low income parents today they are thinking on their toes with lack of sleep and lots of stress on them. At times it seems like the most efficient decision but in the end there could have been a better choice. After doing this I could see how low income families are stressed, have low self esteem, are depressed, and lack confidence. The parents are always worried about where the next meal is going to come from and if the bills are paid on time. The kids are affected as well with lower self esteems because their parents are not always around since they are working. The kids may be dealing with bullying at school because they are not wearing name brand clothing. This can cause a lot of stress in the family. Even though I was able to make it through the whole month with more money in the end I found it very difficult to know what food to buy at the store since everything is expensive. I feel that low income families do not eat as much and do not get much nutrients because they are worried about money. That is not something that anyone should be worrying about.
After reading this article I was touched by this concept. I find this to be very true that it does take consistent participation to realize the lives of others. I grew up in Hawaii and there is a lot of homelessness there as well as Orlando. Many people think of these places as a getaway to paradise but they don’t see that there is this huge homeless problem until they have actually been there. Even for people who live in areas like this see this and are aware of this problem but many don’t make it a concern of theirs. I believe that if people do volunteer or reach out to these people and try to help out in even the smallest way that they will be more aware and concerned in their futures. Growing up in Hawaii I was always aware of the homeless problem but until I started giving back to the community and helping out at soup kitchens did I really feel an impact on my life.
Terms: stressed, self-esteem, depressed, and confidence.
The fundamental attribution error is our tendency to explain behaviors of others without keeping in mind the context of the situation. Such as almost getting in a car accident and automatically thinking the other driver is incompetent when in reality they maybe just had a heart attack or something out of their control.
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to do the simulation. It was stressful having to decide whether you would make more money or watch your kid in a play, and worrying about how to make ends meet. It was sad; it put into perspective how hard some people have it. I come from a very small town so growing up I never saw a single homeless person, I thought they were just something in movies. In high school though I went on a couple mission trips, one in particular was to Toronto, Canada. We were in the middle of the city and there were homeless people everywhere, it shocked me. We stayed in a church and every morning there would be people on the steps asking for food and money. We would talk to the people, and they weren’t uneducated or lazy. Most of them had a rough patch in their lives that just got them down and they ended up losing everything and it was hard for them to get back on their feet. This poverty simulation really helped me to see situations like that from their point of view.
I think that the approach to poverty that they talk about would be very affective. It would help anyone who has never been in a situation like that to realize what these people go through and these people aren’t bad or lazy, they usually have just had a rough life and can’t help that they live on the streets or are struggling to make ends meet.
Terms: aggression, anxiety, self-actualization, depression, stress
The Fundamental Attribution Error is how we tend to revert to characterological, trait-based, personality-driven, and dispositional factors in explaining behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe poverty simulation is one of the hardest things that I have had to do. The scenarios that were presented were always stressful and there didn't seem to be any good outcomes to each scenario no matter what action was taken. I was always worried that something bad was going to be happening and there was always one bill coming in after the other. Just imagining myself being in that kind of situation would harm my self-esteem and well being. What really hurt the most was having to deny my kid many opportunities and enjoyment that he/she completely deserved. I felt disappointed in myself for letting my kid down and just felt like I failed as a parent because I constantly had to say no to my child and wasn't able to attend the play or support him/her in any way. One thing I learn is that it is easy for people to judge others and their circumstances from afar when in reality they do not know even half the problems that those in poverty face. One thing that also came to mind is that some people are forced to take actions they normally wouldn't take. For me that happened when someone dropped $10 or my kids was given money, or when my bills had to be paid. When those things occurred I couldn't help but not keep the money for myself or avoid paying my bills because I needed to survive. I believe that some people are forced to take actions that are a lot worse than these to survive. This people likely surfer from a lot of acute and chronic stress, depression and anxiety disorder, and most likely will not be able to reach a stage of self-actualization.
I think the approach requiring students to volunteer at homeless shelters and soup kitchen will help in reducing poverty and the role of fundamental attribution error. The students will be able to have a different point of view corcerning the issue and they will be able to influence others to change their point of view are also more likely to do something about the issue and changing it for the better. However, I do think doing something to also influence adults would be a great thing to do also because they have the greatest influence on their children and they are the ones who strongly hold the view point.
Keywords: Fundamental Attribution Error, Chronic and Acute Stress/Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Esteem and Self Actualization.
I was shocked about some of the choices/decisons I had to make when taking the poverty simulation. There was some many complicatins if you picked one answer over the other one, like for example going to your child's play at school or helping your neighbor move for $50, I choose to go watch my child's play because I think it is important to be there for everything that you kid are involved in. I also got fired because I talked to some union work about increasing the pay and my boss didn't like it, so then I lost my job and my gas got shut off so I had no heat. Overall I would hate to have to make those kind of decision everyday, these kind of decisions really can put a lot of stress on a person's life and make your life that much harder for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteFundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to explain other people's behavior as result of personal, rather then situational factors. So many people are quick to judge a homeless person on the side of the road and say that they are just lazy and don't try to get a job at all, when maybe they are a veteran from a war who doesn't have anything to their name because they lost it while they were fighting for our country or some of those homeless people might be trying to look fora job but they don't have the means to help them with that, they might not have the money to get a bus ticket or ride to the interview or they don't have any money to buy nice clothes for the interview. And I'm not going to lie I was and still can be one of those people who are quick to judge them while I see them walking on the side of the road and standing there with a sign asking for a ride, money, or food, but once I think about it I start to feel bad because I have no right to judge them when I have no idea what the story is behind them.
In the second article we read was or could be an eye opener to some people. I think it would be different to drive in downtown Orlando and see all the people that are homeless on the side of the road asking for things because around here you don't see that very often and if you do its just one person at a time. I don't really know how to approach a policy to cut down on the homelessness but I do agree with the article about sending kids in high school to volunteer at a shelter or something. When I was in high school, our basketball coach had us go to the food banquet in downtown Sioux Falls every now and then and help with making and serving the food. And to me this was a huge eye opener and made you think a little more.
Key Terms: Fundamental attribution error, Chronic/acute stress, self-esteem, physical/mental health
The fundamental attribution error explains how individuals utilize personality traits to explain behavior. For example, when presented with a situation in which an individual is poor, using the fundamental attribution error, an individual would attest that this particular individual is lazy instead of examining environment. As the article states, it is easier to look for “bad apples” than it is to truly analyze an environment and social structures and pressures. The stimulation was difficult. As a college student, I understand how stressful money can become. However, I do not have a child, and I am fortunate enough to have a steady job. The decisions in that stimulation were impossible. Regardless of the decision made, it was a loss. Losing money or losing something equally important, health and an opportunity for your child. It is extremely evident how stressful these situations are, and the devastating effect they can have on health.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the other article presented, I think that volunteering is a good way to approach policy making concerning poverty. I think the stimulation was also a very powerful tool. Some of the activities I remember best from grade school and high school were real-life stimulations. Providing the stimulation and then volunteering would be a great approach. The stimulation would provide background and perspective i.e. this truly does happen to individuals and it is a difficult, stressful situation.
Key words: Fundamental attribution error, stress, depression, coping
The fundamental attribution error occurs when we make inferences and judgments about a person's behavior without considering certain situational factors, thus overestimating the role of dispositional factors. It's the tendency for people to blame poor personality traits to people based on their actions rather than regarding other environmental factors that might make a person they way they are. The article states that it's easier to look at "bad apples" or negative parts of a person rather than recognizing their good points or take other factors into account.
ReplyDeleteI found the simulation to be kind of difficult. I think most college students can relate to and identify with the struggle to have enough money and make ends meet sometimes, but personally, I definitely forget how fortunate I am to know that everything is going to be OK. I also don't have a child or have to worry about anyone's finances but my own. Health insurance is also something I take for granted, since I'm still covered under my parents' plan. The simulation was hard because it's hard to make the right choices sometimes--some things are worth the money while others are not. Right now, I have a job but would rather spend $200 on fun things than for new tires or rent. It's difficult to make those decisions because it's a lose-lose situation in a lot of cases. Stress and depression go hand-in-hand, so doing fun things with our time and money help alleviate stress and make us happier, but doing these things can also cause stress by making us worry about money.
I thought the last article was really interesting. I definitely agree that society often looks at homelessness in a very negative light, assuming that they are lazy or "leeching" off society. I think we forget that homeless people are just like we are, but their struggles have affected their lives in a deeper way. Everyone has their own story, and I think implementing awareness programs and asking people to volunteer with the homeless is a good eye-opener not only to become more aware of homelessness, but to be more appreciative of what we have.
Key words: fundamental attribution error, stress, depression,
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency for people to attribute others’ behavior with their personality, rather than consider it a result of their situation. If a person fails a test, one might attribute this to a lack of effort or perhaps lack of intelligence, rather than suggest that maybe this person is having some sort of situation that affected their ability to prepare.
ReplyDeleteI only made it half way through the month before I ran out of money in the simulation. It was very difficult to make some of the choices I made, and it was not even real. For example, selling all my things at a yard sale for $150 was a success sitting behind a computer screen, no comparison to what it would actually feel like to be practically giving away your belongs for an amount of money that won’t even last you a few days. It was really irritating when I chose to stick with a flat pay rate at the warehouse (rather than choosing to be paid “by the piece”) and then I had all my hours cut anyway. Luckily I was able to help my child with their math, but in a real life situation-working long hours for little pay- who would have the time? I could only afford to pay the minimum on my credit card balance, a choice that would require 17 years to pay off the debt. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to have that kind of credit card debt, something so many people deal with after spending money they don’t have.
People living in poverty are often the victims of snap judgments filled with assumptions regarding laziness or what the blog referred to as “bad apples.” The book says fundamental attribution error is used to make judgments about a person’s personality characteristics based on a single action or moment, not their entire life situation. The text says fundamental attribution error “differs from stereotyping in that inferences are based on actual behavior.” When we judge the homeless, it is not based on any particular behavior—it’s based on the fact that they are homeless, which I think is closer to a stereotype than an attribution error if one had to be chosen over the other (as the text makes it seem). I did not enjoy how this article made it seem as if no one wants to help the homeless, right after the author says many of us are one paycheck away from the same situation. Maybe, then, the author should consider that many people feel they do not have the means to help the homeless, as opposed to thinking so poorly about the homeless that they do not want to help. I don’t think it is so pertinent to change the way people feel about the homeless in terms of an attribution error, but more important to get people to realize they can do something to help (which this proposed method would do). People use the homeless as a reference group for downward social comparisons all the time. “Look how much worse it could be.” It’s getting people to think of the homeless as real, suffering people that will change what is done about it.
Snap judgment, Stereotype, Fundamental attribution error, Social comparison theory/Downward social comparison/Reference group
Excellent use of the vocab and concepts from the chapter!
DeleteFundamental attribution error is when a person interprets and explains another person’s behavior in a negative way due to a particular encounter. The misread encounter could have happened for several different reasons though, but the interpreter does not know all of the details about the other person.
ReplyDeleteThe online simulation about putting yourself in a poverty state was challenging. The simulation showed your total amount of money the entire time, which made it hard to make decisions on spending money for your health, family, car and house. I learned that families that suffer from poverty have hard decisions to face during a day-to-day basis. These decisions can then lead them to financial, emotional, and physical problems. All of these problems can cause a person to have low levels of self-esteem and self –concept. These low levels could then lead to depression or suicidal thoughts. The simulation really puts into perspective how a family faces troubles when living in poverty. When referring back to fundamental attribution error, Americas make predispositions on families in poverty. Yet, if others learned more about the family as to why they are financially unstable, maybe their thoughts would change drastically.
My thoughts on the policy making concern about poverty would be beneficial. Being able to help poverty families and individuals within your community will expose you to a new environment. It will take you out of your comfort zone and help you see and understand what poverty looks like. You will obviously not see or hear everything a person has gone through, but it will still give you a little background as to why people are in these sorts of situations.
Keywords: Stress, Depression, Self-esteem, Self-concept
Fundamental attribution error is blaming a person’s actions on the person instead of the situation or environment that may have caused the action.
ReplyDeleteThis simulation was really eye opening, I barely stayed within my budget, and when put in the actual situation, I cannot say that my answers may not change. You do not realize how much stuff actually costs until you are put in the situation. I can see how it can be very hard on poor families to manage because you want to give your children the best life possible, but you also have to live within your means, which may mean that a child is not able to attend a birthday party or field trip because you are not able to afford it. Because children may be missing out of social activities, they may become lonely and depressed because they are missing out on getting to do normal childhood activities. Also, living on such a tight budget can possibly lead to low self-esteem because adults may have choose between getting new clothes since theirs have holes or feeding their family. Many will choose feeding their family or treating themselves even though they may be embarrassed by their appearance and wardrobe.
I think requiring students to volunteer at homeless shelters is a great idea for students because there are many misconceptions about homeless people such as they are lazy or have problems with alcoholism, but in reality many just hit a rough patch in their lives and could not make ends meet. Even though I do believe that requiring students to volunteer is a great idea, overall I do not believe that eliminating fundamental attribution error with decrease the rate of homelessness. It may change people’s attitudes about homeless, but overall to decrease the homeless rate more needs to be done to create jobs and improve our economy.
Keywords: fundamental attribution error, alcoholism, attitude, lonely, self-esteem, depressed
The fundamental attribution error occurs when we overestimate someone’s personality and underestimate social behavior. This is often seen when we try and explain other people’s behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation was very interesting. The choices that were given were very hard to choose between. Having to choose between two options creates stress especially when money and your kids were involved. This simulation helped me to realize that the choices that people who are in poverty have to make are very difficult. Not being able to let your child go to a birthday party because you don’t have enough money to buy a present for them to take would be absolutely heartbreaking. It is also very interesting to me how it talked about unhealthy food was cheaper and may be why people who are in poverty are often overweight. This goes along with the video that we watched in class last week about being so exhausted that making a choice such as choosing something healthy to eat is the last thing on your mind.
My thoughts on this approach policy making concerning poverty is that it is very true that people often make the fundamental attribution error. Using real life situations as examples may actually be able to help to stop people’s tendency to assume fundamental attribution error. These examples should be people that were once just the average person who held a job and a normal life. Realizing that homelessness can happen to anyone in the blink of an eye is something that most people don’t understand. By seeing these things first hand and seeing the things that these homeless people go through such as depression and anxiety, it will help to make them see that there really isn’t much difference them and the homeless.
Key Words:
Stress
Fundamental Attribution Error
Depression
Anxiety
The way we explain behaviors of others, especially when we judge these behaviors without taking in the context of the situation is known as fundamental attribution error. An example of this is hearing about a person who had to move home after graduating college and people assume it is because this person is lazy and wasting their education. While in reality, the person had a job and home, but the government shut down and they now cannot afford to live on their own.
ReplyDeleteThis simulation was very difficult to do. Even with just the few minutes it took, it caused me quite a bit of stress and anxiety. Having to make the choice about hanging out with “my children” or to make more money was so heart breaking. Then also, having to pick the unhealthy foods for my children and myself, even though I know it can not only affect them now, but as they grow up and mature. When I was growing up, my grandpa would take me on walks and we would take food and clothing down to a bridge. These people would often be depressed; this would cause some of them to be very aggressive. So, we had to be careful who we went by and who we talked to though. We would hang out with someone of the homeless people and give them things they needed. This was done in Arizona, I never asked him why we did this and now that he has passed I wish I would have. He would take me with so I could see how blessed I was and to also show me these people are people just like me, who sometimes just need a little help.
Requiring student to volunteer at either soup kitchens or homeless shelters, I believe is a beautiful idea. It will raise awareness about how those who live in poverty get by and also allow students to change their point of view of those who are less fortunate than them. Though, I feel like this should not just be limited to students, I feel as adults also need a reminder of who blessed they are and to inspire them to share their gifts, talents and wealth with those who are less fortunate. With having this exposure to those who are suffering from poverty, it can allow for the fundamental attribution error to decrease and people’s compassion to increase.
Key Words: Stress, depression, aggression, fundamental attribution error, and anxiety
The fundamental attribution error is when you make judgments on the behaviors of others without taking into account the situation. An example would be if you go to a store and have a bad experience with a cashier and tell your friends how horrible he is but next time you go back and the person is extremely pleasant. You may not have realized he was new or having a bad day.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the simulation. There was a lot of things I never thought of. It really changes how you handle things when living in poverty. For instance finding the ten dollars or hitting the car, those decisions are very hard when you are down to only a couple hundred dollars. It definitely makes me realize how much stress it can cause someone. It can often lead to depression which is very understandable when you are in that situation. Not only does it affect you but also your children and the is very heart breaking.
Having students volunteer at homeless shelters is a great idea. The fundamental attribution error occurs here a lot. People think homeless people are lazy or drunks when really a lot of them have gone through a lot of unexpected difficulties such as losing their jobs.
Key words: fundamental attribution error, depression, stress
Fundamental Attribution Error refers to when a person assesses other’s behaviors based mostly on internal reasons such as personality characteristics. This also emphasizes external errors as causing our own mistakes. This error can relate to one’s personal self-esteem, being high in self-esteem and thinking that outside forces are causing your own flaws. Snap judgment also plays a role. When you automatically blame someone for their slip-ups rather than thinking about the situation and what actually occurred. The first article explains Fundamental Attribution Error more in depth. Explaining how people downplay the power of situation and look directly for bad internal characteristics. The article elaborates on the idea that the poor are not necessarily lazy and undisciplined. Their poverty could be related to external factors self-control and motivation.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation was very challenging for me. Not having enough money to make it passed day nine. I didn’t quite realize how many factors a person has to pay for on their own. Also a variety of random costs would arise. Overall all these factors build up and add to stress and probably could lead people into a depression; especially when you have children or pets. The blog post starts by explaining the homeless population of Orlando, Florida. The groups of homeless can be seen almost anywhere. They ask for money and many think they are too lazy to work and just looking for a handout. The Fundamental Attribution Error causes these opinions basing them on internal traits. The blog suggests that through the use of real life examples while emphasizing powerful social and situational factors we can reduce fundamental attribution error. This can be achieved by having high school aged students participate in volunteer activities within their own communities. I do not think this in necessarily going to solve the problem but I think it is a good start. The teenagers would have to communicate with the homeless or poverty stricken people in order to learn their story. Simply serving them a meal with not rid the idea of Fundamental Attribution Error.
Self-esteem
Snap judgment
Self-control
Motivation
depression
Good description of the fundamental attribution error, Charles! I agree with you concerning the policy, but I think it could help a little...but definitely wouldn't alleviate the whole problem!
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error is when we overestimate the role of dispositional factors due to making inferences about a person’s behavior without taking situational factors into consideration. It is most visible when people explain the behavior of others.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation was about making very tough decisions. It was very difficult to decide what to feed my family or let my kid join a sports team. I had to put my morals and ethics on the line for my family in order to save money. The choice between paying a ticket or running was one of the many hard things I had to do. I always put my family first. I understand why families in poverty are forced to make the choices they do now. It’s very stressful living in those conditions and restrictions. I understand why people in poverty smoke and make poor health choices, easy cheap coping methods. It also makes sense why depression is so prevalent because I couldn’t afford to get professional help. Mental and physical health were not my top priorities due to lack of money. I’ve never had to think or act like that before.
The second blog states that fundamental attribution error causes us to see homelessness as a result of overestimating the flaw in a person’s character while ignoring or underestimating the environmental factors that play a role in that person’s life. This has caused Americans to view poverty as a choice because people are lazy. I think that the policy to decrease this thought pattern is nice, but I don’t think it will make that large of an impact. It’s important to expose students to poverty so they can see it first hand, but they will never truly understand the struggle. It’s definitely a good idea, but I’m not sure how much good will come of it.
Stress, fundamental attribution error, coping, depression, mental and physical health, decision making
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ReplyDeleteFundamental attribution error is when one over-estimates or is biased to social situations. For example, if a person you do not like rear ends you at a stop sign, and you assume they did it because they did not like you. This is an example of fundamental attribution error. The simulation was eye opening. Some of the choices that had to be made with the limited finances were very difficult. However, I feel that this simulation may have been a bit misleading as it seems that every possible bad outcome that could have happened, did indeed happen. I am skeptical of the policy that was described in the article. I think that volunteering is a good thing to introduce to young adults, however, I am not sure that volunteering is the correct path to achieve the goal of reducing poverty.
ReplyDeleteStress
Fundamental attribution error
Assumptions
Push yourself to write more...give more description!
DeleteI agree though, volunteering is good, but I don't think it'll completely solve the problem of stereotyping those in poverty.
The fundamental attribution error is basically how an individual reverts to stereotypes and stereotyping behavior based on traits, personality, and dispositional factors. It also insinuates that the individual downplays or ignores the power of certain situations.
ReplyDeleteThe poverty simulation was interesting. I went through the exercise a few times to view different options. The choices were difficult, as many of my classmates pointed out, however for me a lot of the answers were very common sense, particularly considering the amount of money I had and could spend. Not being able to see a calendar of bills and a budget made it a bit tricky to plan for certain things (for instance, once I made it through successfully, however I did not have enough money for rent which was due the following day). But a lot of the things were really based on values, I found. For example, a few of the questions mentioned the education level of your child (tutors, etc), and it really just depends on how the individual values education. Coming from an environment that wasn’t quite poverty stricken, but definitely had a lower end budget, I understand the difficulties of determining values. There were certain times when food was misplaced or cheapened to tv dinners in lieu of a school activity or tutor session. I can really see how the stress and depression levels raise, particularly in this case of single parenthood.
I really enjoyed this second blog post. It was very insightful, and unfortunately in my case very true. I have never lived in a large city, however I have taken trips there, on occasion without my parents, and in these larger cities there was a large population of homeless people. In these instances when I was in that environment, I just ignored the homeless, assuming that they were more of a hassle than they were worth, not stopping to offer them any assistance whatsoever. After reading this blog I felt like a horrible person, actually, as if I de-humanized the homeless in the cities that I visited.
Key Words
Fundamental Attribution
Depression
Stress
Environment
Dispositional Factors
Personality
Behavior Traits
"The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to explain other people's behaviors as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors" (Weiten, Dunn, & Hammer, p. 216). The fundamental attribution error is the internal personality characteristics used to explain someone else's behavior in a certian situation. For example, if someone is walking in the hallway and bumps into you. You tend to get mad and say "What the heck, that person definitely saw me!" But, you don't consider the other factors such as they weren't aware they were talking up so much room or someone else bumped into them first.
ReplyDeleteI liked the stimulation activity. I did however, find it hard. I did run out of money on day 30. If I was really trying not to run out of money then I could have, but that means I would really have to sacrifice a lot. My kids and I would not have as much fun or be able to participate in important activities. Being poor and having to make these tough decisions in life that can affect your every day life is not fair. It adds a lot of stress to a person's life. Also, not being able to afford health food can take its toll on a person's body. The people will have more physical and mental health issues. People who have a lot of stress tend to be anxious and more depressed. I believe people who are more depressed have a lower self-esteem. Also if the don't have the money to afford health food, then they have no choice but to buy unhealthy food. I believe this is a big reason why obesity is on the rise. From this activity, I learned that being in this situation is not easy. Things these days cost a lot of money. I also learned not to take things for granted. Even if I don't have the best of the best clothes, house, funiture, car, etc.. I am still a lot better off than a lot of people. I am very thankful for everything I have. I hope to one day be able to help others who are less fortunate.
I agree with this article, I have done several different community service events throughout my community. I do believe something needs to be done to help the homeless people out. I know when I drive by and see a homeless person on the side of the road I do get scared and it really gets me thinking. I may be part of the fundamental attribution error, but I would like to change that. How they got in this position and why? I feel like I do judge too much. I think it is more beneficial to give these people food, water, etc.. rather than money. I do not know what they are going to be spending the money on. I only want to help not make the situation worse. For example if they are spending the money on drugs or alcohol.
Keywords: Stress, Obesity, Anxiety, Depression, Physical and Mental Health, Self-Esteem, Fundamental Attribution Error
Fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to explain other people’s behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors. It is when someone believes that events are connected to your character and is your fault instead of an outside force. When doing the poverty simulation, I chose to become a waitress and I decided to opt out of health insurance. I also chose to live about 33 miles away from work. I had a yard sale to sell my unneeded items, but then my landlord raised my rent and I paid it. I have a tooth ache, but can’t pay so I decided to just buy numbing gel instead. I also had to give up my pet to the animal shelter because I couldn’t pay the fee and then I chose to help my mom out by paying for her medicine. I got through the month with $448 left. I understand now why so many low-income families are experiencing both acute and chronic stress from the variety of stressors from having to buy new shoes for your kid to having a tooth ache and not being able to pay for dental work. I also learned that many low-income families are more prone to depression and have to learn how to cope with hardly any money. It could also lead to obesity and drug and alcohol abuse.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great way to let the students experience poverty and learn more about it while also getting involved in the community. I believe that more places need to do this because then the students will understand that they need to work hard in life so they don’t get into the same situation. They also learn that homelessness can happen to everyone, it isn’t selective. It could also help raise their self-confidence in figuring out that they need to do something in life.
Keywords:
Fundamental Attribution Error
Acute & Chronic Stress
Depression
Cope
Drug & Alcohol Abuse
Self-confidence
Very nice job throwing in some vocab/concepts!
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the effect of attitude and personality on things and underestimate the effect of the environment on the situation when explaining people's behavior. Basically we attribute bad characteristics and situations to others and outside influences, and good characteristics to ourselves and internal influences.
ReplyDeleteThe poverty simulation showed just how it easy it is for things to get out of control. I ended up with about $568 in my bank account after paying my utility bills, but my rent was $750. I'd obviously have to work something out with my landlord. The simulation was hard just by the fact that every single one of the situations was a real life situation that could happen. People get married in different states and you have to figure out how to get there, or tell them you can't make it. Parents, kids, and pets get sick and you have to take care of them. Insurance, phone bills, concerts, food bills, they all add up and it is very stressful. As college students, I think we have a slightly askew view of poverty. Everyone is “poor” in college in that we're drowning in debt, but still have enough money to party every weekend or nearly. Most of us don't quite understand what it's like to be truly poor where we don't have enough money to pay for rent or the electric bill next month. I'm sure there are some students at USD who know that feeling, and that's awful, but most of them don't. It's good to put things like that in perspective.
In regards to the New Orleans policy, it sounds similar to the drafting policy for Vietnam only not as extreme obviously. It has good intentions, but if someone isn't committed to helping others, they're not going to want to be there and not going to get the right things out of it. They'll just spend the entire time thinking about how they don't want to be there. I'd rather have ten volunteers who want to be there and are fully committed than a hundred who were forced to be there and barely want to be there. That's just my opinion.
Key Words: Fundamental Attribution Error, Stress, Coping, Motivation
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the effect of disposition or personality and underestimate the effect of the situation in explaining social behavior. This basically means that people judge others behaviors based on their personality traits rather than looking at possible situational factors.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that the stimulation would be that hard. It was really frustrating getting through something only to have another problem come up. It really opened my eyes up to what some people have to go through in their everyday lives when one of my biggest problems is just being tired. It was crazy how the expenses really added up, and then the difficult decisions that I had to make. I had to kill my family pet because I could not afford the treatment. The everyday challenges that low income people deal with are much worse than I had ever realized. With all of the stress that people must be under just because of financial problems, I am not surprised that there are poor people who are obese and are living with depression. Overall, I am really glad that I experienced this because it really opened my eyes to the fact that homelessness is still a really large issue.
I think that this invention strategy is a good idea. I think that starting earlier in high school would be very beneficial in helping to reduce the fundamental attribution error. This was the first time that I was really exposed to poverty and it changed my views somewhat on the issue. If this was given to people younger than me, I think that they would benefit from it and become less likely to adhere to the fundamental attribution error.
Key Terms:
Fundamental Attribution Error
Depression
Stress
Situational Factors
Personality Traits
The fundamental attribution error is our tendency as humans to explain behavior based on characteristics, traits, or personalities of others. What this entails is a lack of consideration for the environments/situations that make others act the way they do. Rather than look to hard times as an explanation for the downfalls of others, we find it easier to blame the person. In contrast, we have a tendency to define our own successes on the basis of good characteristics and internal influences.
ReplyDeleteCompleting this simulation was surprisingly stressful for only being a fictional online situation. Each day brought new and bigger stresses that cost more money than I was willing to spend. It was a real eye-opener to just how severe of a toll poverty can take on individuals. In this economy, every aspect of our lives revolves around money, and not having the funds for rent or health insurance is a much more common occurrence than it should be. Having to choose between letting your kids play sports or paying a credit card bill was a rough decision; either way, somebody doesn't get what they want. Also, buying groceries on such a strictly limited budget was difficult. I often buy my groceries without really paying attention to the price of an item as it gets thrown in the cart. In most cases, I just buy the things my parents bought and had around our home while growing up. However, groceries add up fast and are a regular expense, so purchasing them should be done with caution. Even though $20 does not seem to buy much any more, there are ways to stretch it as far as possible. Problems with stress, depression, and lack of motivation can easily arise from struggles with poverty, due to the negative effects poverty has on the mind. A feeling that what you have isn't enough and you need to be working harder and making more money in order to survive is surely a morbid one, but ever-present nonetheless. In the midst of this fictional battle with funds, it was hard to keep in mind the concept of "flow" that we talked about at the beginning of the year. Being happy with what you have doesn't necessarily pay the bills, but it does give one something to appreciate, especially during the hard times.
The policy stated at the end of "Reducing Poverty and the Role of Fundamental Attribution Error" seems, to me, a good way to get students to combat homelessness in their communities. If a mere online simulation of poverty offers this much of a learning experience, real-life experiences would be infinitely more beneficial. Homelessness is often a concept most people do not consider until they are staring it in the face, and exposure early-on could effectively reduce the fundamental attribution error.
Key words: Fundamental Attribution Error, Stress, Depression, Flow
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to believe that personality affects how someone acts in various social situations instead of the situation affecting personality. People generally react to different situations in various ways. People also generally change their personality situation to situation. Changes are not always noticeable.
ReplyDeleteThe online simulation really hit home for me. For the first half of my life, I was a child living in poverty and the struggle to make it every day reminded me just how hard it was for my mom. Whenever questions about buying stuff for the child the simulation said I had, I always said yes. I didn’t buy the brand name shoes, but money was given to go to the museum as wells as get ice cream. I remember my mom always saying no to me and for the game, I decided that there would always be money for my hypothetical child. The choices on the simulation weren’t that hard to make because I have had to make some of those decisions before. I had to move out the beginning of my senior year of high school and I lived in poverty. I lived on about $950 a month after taxes. The simulation reminded me why I decided to stay a full-time high school student and work so hard in college. I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, and every day is spent worrying about bills and hoping to pick up extra shifts. Living in poverty is fighting for survival. It’s also putting up with high stress levels day after day, with no end in sight.
I thought this article was interesting and it does suggest a good point that would work in a perfect world. Volunteering is a great idea, but it isn’t something that should ever be forced. I understand the article talks about using volunteering as a way to expose high schoolers to poverty and to encourage them to help do something about it in their adult lives, but I think that the actual effect would be the opposite. Instead of thinking, “Wow, I’m glad to be helping these people and something needs to be done about the poverty crisis in America,” students are going to think, “This is so stupid. I didn’t even want to do this. When am I going to get out of here again?” I strongly agree that more needs to be done in matters of addressing poverty. However, dealing with the large number of people living in poverty can’t be done with government funds alone. I think the first step is creating a free higher education system. With free education we could reduce welfare. It hurts self-esteem to be on welfare programs (I know from experience) and if we could give people in poverty the education to help them get on their own feet, then it would not only help reduce the poverty level, it will raise confidence and self-esteem levels in people who are rising up to a higher standard of living. Other countries have free education and it helps in managing poverty. Why can’t we make the same changes in America?
Key Words: fundamental attribution error, personality, self-esteem, stress
I agree that while it is a good idea in theory, mandating high schoolers to volunteer may backfire!
DeleteI consider the fundamental attribution error to similar to stereotyping; you see a person looking or dressing a certain way, and make a claim to who you think they are. Also you can associate certain looks or qualities with a certain type of person. After doing the simulation, it was crazy to see how hard it can be. I only made it to day six, because I chose the more costly options, thinking they would be better in the long run. After seeing the information that was given after each decision, it was really eye opening see that taking the more expensive option now, may not pay off in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know how to address the policy making on this issue. I am one of those people who just drive on by because I never know what could happen if I were to stop and try to give them something. One big issue I think could affect the policy making is not knowing who is really homeless, because we talked about homelessness in another psychology class of mine and a girl stated that a friend of her father’s pretends to be homeless because he makes more money that way than he would actually working a real job. I could agree that the idea of making high school students volunteer is a good idea in a theory, but what person wants to deal with a crabby high schooler? They shouldn’t be forced into helping just to change a certain behavior; they should volunteer because it is something they want to do.
Terms: fundamental attribution error, behavior, psychology
Fundamental attribution error, is judging someone by what you see and not by the situation they are in. A good example of judgment in this way is when we drive into a poor neighborhood and we think all them are gang members and drug dealers. We judge homeless people all the time thinking they are at fault for them being homeless when it isn't always the case.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation was very fun. I brought back some memories for me from when my wife and me was starting out 16 years ago. We learned how to manage money very quickly and learned that our kids would never go without. From the simulation I ended the month with $576 in my bank account. I didn't have a cell phone, but my kids played sports. The bad thing is I didn't go watch them in the school play because I was making some extra money helping a friend move. I opted for the health insurance and it helped out when I was having chest pain, so the additional money for the health insurance helped out in the end. Grocery shopping was that hardest part for me in the simulation because I had to think twice one what was something that I really needed to get. Like I said the simulation was fun for me cause it took me back in time. After doing the simulation, it makes me think about why people get depression now. Being a parent is tough, that is why I always remember suicide rates were so high around the holidays and afterwards. People try to get everything their kids want and put so much stress on themselves. This simulation should be something that they use for new parent's so they can see some little realities in life.
I like the idea's of making kids in high school do volunteer work at these places to see what is actually going on in their back yard. Here in Vermillion we don't see the guys on the street corner asking for handouts but what people don't realize in these rural area's there is a high poverty rate. If there wasn't there would be no need for a food bank, there would be no need for a monthly meal at one of the local churches. In the article it says something along the lines as the people who are staring at these homeless people are a paycheck or house payment away from being in the same situation. Its true, my personal experience I have been that person that if I didn't get exactly the 96 hours on that paycheck, I was not going to be able to pay my house payment and was going to get foreclosed on. So starting high school kids early would be a great thing, but more importantly teaching them how to manage money and finances would be even a better place to start.
Key terms:
Depression, Fundamental Attribution Error
The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to explain other people’s behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors. To me, this definition means that the fundamental attribution error is somewhat like an inference that may or may not be correct but that is based on an actual behavior not just something that we assume. When thinking about the fundamental attribution error, people tend to stereotype and jump to conclusions about people’s characters without considering that there might be a reason behind the behavior or maybe it was just a stressful day and their behavior was a coping strategy.
ReplyDeleteTaking the spent simulation was extremely stressful. I actually found myself sitting and wavering between options for quite some time. I realized that even though it would kill me not to be able to give my child what they want maybe sometimes I do need to say no. I ran out of money on day 22 so I almost made it through the month. After doing the simulation it made me extremely thankful to be 19 years old right now and not having to pay the bills! I am also extremely thankful that I am on a full ride basketball scholarship because that will help me save money in the future is well. The simulation almost made me at the economy because of all the things that people have to pay! I can’t even believe it. It makes me realize now why my parents get so stressed sometimes. The simulation was quite difficult. Sometimes it would make me mad because I would choose an option and then no matter what I would have to pay money because of some weird reason. Some days it felt like a lose lose situation. Other times I would get frustrated because in my head I could think of other things to do but my options were to either do this or this and I really did not want to do either because I knew there was another option. An example of this was when the kid was being made fun of for free lunches. I would have been willing to make his lunches at home but my options were pay for lunch or let him suffer. I did not want to do either of those options.
The article discusses how poverty stricken people are stereotyped as being lazy or have bad work ethic when people do not realize that there could be environmental factors that play into effect. The last paragraph talks about preventing this fundamental attribution error by having students go and visit homeless shelters. From a personal experience we had to go visit the shelters and serve food in high school. However, it did not help because we were not allowed to actually interact and talk with the people. All we did was scoop so food on their plate and say hello. I think if you really want people to know the reality of the problem then you should allow them to talk to the people more in depth. If they do, then maybe people will even be willing to help the poor out even more by understanding their situations.
Stress
Coping
Stereotype
Character
Behavior
The fundamental attribution error is when people make inferences about a person's behavior without taking factors into consideration and making personal judgements.The article just explains how people will be quick to judge people and not take time to actually think about all the factors into someones situation. The simulation we did online was an eye opening experience for me. I personally never realized how hard it is to face life decisions when money is such a big issue. Living in poverty is something I have luckily never had to experience. I learned how hard it is to live in poverty and how quickly money is spent on random things in life. The thing I found the hardest was not having a steady pay check and setting for a low paying job. The last article explain how this problem can be fixed by people not judging people in poverty and instead understanding the people's circumstances. Volunteering and donating will also help solve this big problem. I agree with the policies that would be put toward poverty. Poverty is a world wide problem that needs to be fixed.
ReplyDeleteStress
Depression
Stereo-Type
Be more descriptive of your experience taking the simulation...you have the nuts and bolts, but padding it with examples is great.
DeleteFundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the effect of nature or personality and underestimate the effect of the situation when explain social behavior. This simulation was very interesting. One fact that I found interesting was when the simulation asked me if about having a stressful day and if I accept a cigarette. I never thought about this. I will admit I have had fundamental attribution error when low income people and say to myself “you always say you don’t have money but you can afford cigarettes”. I would have never thought that being in a stressful financial situation could start this habit, and that a cigarette is a coping mechanism. I also found it difficult to make decisions about money that had to do with the children. I have also thought how can a person say no to giving their child $15 for a tutor, but I realized that $15 is a lot when it comes to using it to put food on the table. Buying groceries also made me realize how low income families have a hard time with nutrition. Food with nutritional value is expensive compared to processed food. I think that food stamps should be given to families when they sign up not the next month.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great way to reduce fundamental attribution error. I think that not only will students and people start to look at a homeless person differently, but it will also make them grateful for what they have which could make their life better. This could lead to suicidal rates in teens to fall; because they see people who really have a difficult life and may start to think there’s isn’t so bad. Having more people involved with the homeless population may help with finding a solution for this problem. Maybe with approach will allow other citizens to talk to the homeless more and find a way to help them get on their feet. This could be as easy as making them feel like someone cares which would give them hope. I also think that this could help people with depression. As stated in another article earlier this semester, helping people not only benefits that person but it also benefits you.
Key Terms: Fundamental attribution error, stress, depression, coping
The fundamental attribution error is the over tendency of people to attribute a behavior to a personality factor rather than a situational factor. For example a person misses a shift at work and their boss thinks their lazy. When in reality there could be many rational reasons that person missed a shift such as illness or a family emergency. This type of error could also be easily attributed to the poor, which is why I think going through that simulation was especially interesting.
ReplyDeleteI not only played the game myself I had a few of my friends play through it. It was really disheartening to me to see some of the choices I had to make because of my income situation. Specifically the ones that could negatively affect “my child” such as missing their play, allowing or not allowing them to participate in sports, and keeping them on free lunches. Those kinds of things could be really hard on a child’s self-esteem and self-worth. It was also really hard to decide what groceries to buy and what bills to pay. I always tried to pay as much or as many of the bill as I could during that moment so I could hopefully get out of debt. Even though I worked hard at the end of the month I wouldn’t have had enough money to pay my rent for another month.
After reading the article about reducing poverty and the bias that comes along with it I was torn. The basic hypothesis of this research is that exposing teenagers to those much worse off then them they may see the real causes instead of following the fundamental attribution theory. I would love to see a program like this be put into place but at the same time I have to wonder how feasible it is for any school district. Beyond that I feel like only targeting high school students won’t allow for the results that I would like to see. I think that many companies should instill such a program for their employees specifically those who may work with the homeless or downtrodden. Starting with students is good but with how little some people listen to teenagers I am unsure if the real message would get across.
Key Words
Fundamental Attribution theory
Self-esteem
Self-worth
Hypothesis
I love that you had your friend do it, too! Passing along psychology :)
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error occurs when a person explains another person’s behavior by looking at their character, traits, personality, and disposition. For example, it is easier to look at a person and blame them for their behavior rather than looking at the environment and situation that caused that behavior. The article goes on to explain how people living in poverty are often blamed for being lazy or lacking in work ethic. However, the environment should be blamed instead of the person. Taking the poverty simulation online was extremely eye opening. I ran out of money on day 21, after doing things like a hit and run and keeping the kid home from a school field trip because I couldn’t afford it. The second article discusses how having young adults start volunteering at places such as homeless shelters can help to reduce the fundamental attribution error , eventually causing these students to take a look at the environment and social factors instead of looking at and judging the person. I think that this is a good idea, not only because of the fact that it is morally a good idea to volunteer, but because it also helps to give insight on the situations that other people that are less fortunate than you. People who are living in poverty aren’t able to enjoy some of the luxuries and free time that other more fortunate people are able to, and in return they may experience a much higher level of stress. It is difficult for these people to be optimistic about their futures when they are so focused whether they can pay the bills or provide food for their children.
ReplyDeleteKey words:
Fundamental attribution error
Stress
Optimism
The fundamental attribution error is how we tend to revert to characterological, trait-based, personality-driven, and dispositional factors in explaining behavior. Or more simply put, we downplay the power of situations when passing judgments. I found the simulation very difficult. I found my attitude grow more negative and my stress level increase. After a while I started thinking, “are you kidding me”. I learned a lot of miscellaneous fact that appeared to be there to guilt trip me. I can see how many of those situations are true and how each decision has a big effect on the budget. I do feel like the simulation guarantees every situational factor was a worst case scenario, which is possible, yes, but unrealistic. And what did I do to become a single parent with a child, dog, and useless college degree in some city where I know no one. It feels I had made some bad choices to get myself in that situation. Yes, many find themselves in these situation, and they are just victims of bad circumstances. But I feel this is going a step too far and saying that they are purely a victim own one’s environment. People do have decision, and bad decisions have negative consequences. I am a proponent of having strong personality traits, and to take responsibility for my actions. From the article, it is a good approach to have student volunteer during high school. I had to have 40 hours of volunteer services in order to graduate, it was important for me to see but it did not particularly change my views. It just made me want to work harder so I was never in a place like that. A friend of mine went to a school where he did not have to volunteer, he chose too, and he continues to volunteer today. Forcing kids to volunteer could have a great effect, but it also can have little influence.
ReplyDeleteKey Words: Attitude, stress, personality, situational factor, personality traits
The Fundamental Attribution Error is how we 'react' to what we see people doing. For example, if we see someone struggling on something then give up, we will automatically judge the situation and think that person isn't driven enough to complete the task. This goes hand in hand with last weeks blog assignment dealing with praising kids for doing easy tasks, I think. I may be the only one to think of it this way but in this article is said, "Why do we do this? Because it's easier, quicker and cleaner." That to me reminds me of how Americans are nowadays. We take the easy way out. Why does that have anything to do with praising kids for easy tasks you might be wondering? America is changing; we are politically correct, give kids ribbons for participating, and take the easy way out when it comes to needing to fix situations (the fundamental attribution error).
ReplyDeleteDuring the poverty simulation, I tried putting my mind in the state where someone in poverty would be thinking about credits and debits. I tried making the smart decisions for the future but it was almost like you couldn't think about the future; you needed to focus on the income you were making now and that's it. It was very difficult. I ran out of money on day 23.
I think asking/requiring teenagers to volunteer numerous hours a week or month is important. Teaching young adults how to lend a helping hand definitely can impact the outlook they have toward the rest of the American, and even the world's, population. I volunteered frequently and still do and I feel it is an important factor in who I am today and how I view life in general.
Good link to last week...don't forget to list your keywords.
DeleteFundamental attribution error describes how we tend to see things in a stereotypical way based on our personalities by not taking situational factors into consideration.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation was difficult, but I believe that the decisions made are decisions everyone has to make, regardless of their financial situation. Overall, your priorities should be the essential things. Poverty can make these situations more stressful/depressing though, because whether or not someone’s priorities are in line has greater consequences not only for them, but also for their family.
The article provides a very reasonable way to help youth realize just how easily poverty can affect someone. I think this would open up people eyes to the possibility of poverty not just being attributed to the laziness of someone, but rather the possibility that some tragedy or uncontrollable situation happened to them.
Keywords: stress, depressing, personality, situational factors
Push yourself to write a little more and create more links to class material.
Deletethe fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the effect of the a persons personality or disposition and underestimate the persons situation and there circumstances.
ReplyDeletein the game I lasted 21 days only because I dismissed my morals for my survival instincts I even stole money from my kids birthday card and in the end I wasn't only penniless I was ashamed. I learned that people tend to bend or lose there morals and attitudes towards justice. when there livelihood is at stake they are practically forced to partake in unhealthy eating habit's and other unhealthy behaviors like smoking and no heath insurance because of high stress and lack of affordability, and on top of that in my case I had a physically demanding job that left me spent.
it bring me insight to look deeper into ones circumstances that are driving ones actions rather than blaming it on there character.
the blog post brings up the point that its a mistake even having the name the fundamental attribution error, and I agree. They should look on fixing the circumstances by giving people better environments to develop properly and reach there potential, and blame less on there personalities.
fundamental attribution error, chronic and acute stress, stereotype, optimism, coping.
The fundamental attribution error talks about when we judge others we tend to exaggerate a person’s actions based on internal factors and underplay their actions based on external factors.
ReplyDeleteThe poverty stimulation was kind of difficult because as far as the cost of living goes something always came up and you were bound to shell out cash. The poverty stimulation helped me to better understand homelessness and the causes of homelessness. Overall, it seems easy, but in reality balancing your work life, social life, home life, and school life is not easy financially or physically.
My thoughts on the approach suggested by researchers, Riggio and Garcia, are that if it helps to steer away from the fundamental attribution error, then it should be used more often. We simply will not understand a person’s situation or the complexity of it until we are put in their shoes ourselves, metaphorically and physically.
Keywords: fundamental attribution error, judge, understand, reality, complexity
Really try to create more links to concepts and vocab from class material in the future!
DeleteFundamental attribution error is when we make judgments on a person’s behavior based on personality traits without consideration the situation. The poverty simulation was quite difficult and made me realize how difficult it would be to be in poverty all of the time. I am very cautious about how I spend my money now, but if I were in poverty, I would have to be very particular about how I spent my money. Most college students have very little money to spend, but college students are not quite yet out in “the real world.” The stimulation showed how it would be if we were in the “real world” with little money. The choices in the stimulation were never exactly easy. First, I failed my exam to be a temp and could not work there. This proves how hard and stressful it can be to find a job. I could not afford health insurance and held a garage sale to collect some extra cash. I had to miss my best friend’s wedding. As a single parent, I always tried to put my child’s needs first. Although self-care is very important, I would put my child before myself. Overall, I ran out of money on day 23 of the stimulation. It was difficult to make choices between two attractive options or two unattractive options (known as approach-approach or avoidance-avoidance).
ReplyDeleteI believe the intervention strategy will work somewhat effectively, if all of the students continue to do community service. Unfortunately, sometimes people of a higher status treat those with a lesser status differently. How many times have you seen someone on the interstate asking for money or a ride, and you continue driving? Most of us have probably done this too many times to admit. I also am guilty of doing so. The homeless may be viewed as lesser of a person or may be viewed as homeless due to their personality causing depression. This is an example of fundamental attribution error. If the intervention strategy were to be effective and actually work, people would need to be less judgmental and more accepting of others. Community service is one way for people to become more open.
The terms I used include the following: personality, stress, self, approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, and depression.
Good points in regard to the policy
DeleteFundamental attribution error when base our opinion on others on their behaviors but their are other factors such as environmental and other social situations. People do not think about what else could be affecting the person.
ReplyDeleteThe simulation I thought was difficult. When you had to pick a job one was variable, one was temporary, and the other was stable put was factory worker which you had to think about injuries with heavy lifting and long hours. It brought up different situations such as paying for the car and what food you want to pay for to make sure you have enough food for the rest of the month with the little money you had. Also you had to make a decision to work more instead of going to your child's play to make sure you have money or paying money for your child to play a school sport. It was hard to make those decisions when you had so little money and you have to worry if someone will goes wrong will you be able to pay for it. The article states that people should volunteer in soup kitchens and homeless centers to help understand why people are homeless to look deeper into these people's lives. Some do not have a place to live and do not know where their next meal will be. It think getting involved would help make the policies better for those in poverty. It helps us better understand so policies would be more have a greater influence on those in poverty.
Key Words: Fundamental attribution error, stress, depression, coping
Fundamental attribution error is attributing a person's behavior to personal issues, instead of situational factors. The simulation did open my eyes a little bit, although I have been living on my own for a year and a half and usually have to decide between luxuries or food and fun. I think people can be too selective when examining their life. As long as you have your health, food, shelter, and clothing, everything else is a luxury that can be expendable. As far as the last article is concerned, I think that an awareness program in high school is a very good idea. It will allow students a glimpse at the possibly reality that they could be homeless.
ReplyDeletekey terms: fundamental attribution error, selectivity
Really try to write more and create more links between the current activity and course material.
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error is when we judge others we tend to exaggerate a person’s actions based on internal factors and underplay their actions based on external factors. The simulation was somewhat difficult. I only made it until day 12 because although I knew I didn't have the money, I couldn't do things like not like my child go to a classmates birthday party, or on a field trip, or hit someones car and drive away. In all reality, I have a job that doesn't pay very much an hour, and I still manage to get by each month. However, I do not have kids and I am sure that that makes quite a difference. I am sure that many of you can relate to me, because we're all in college and don't necessarily have a lot of money, especially if you're like me and you're parents don't help you out with bills.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the last article and thought getting kids to volunteer at soup kitchens, etc was a great idea! Relating back to the simulation, it made me choose between letting my child starve or paying three dollars a day for them to eat not reduced lunches every day. I believe that if children were required to volunteer at soup kitchens, they would be able to step in the shoes of someone less fortunate than them and bullying and other negative behaviors would decrease at school.
Don't forget to list your keywords.
DeleteFundamental attribution error is the tendency to misjudge the effect of disposition and underestimate the effect of the situation in explaining social behavior. The stimulation was a little difficult but also interesting. I am not to the point in my life where I pay my own bills so I never realized what people out of college are paying for and how important a budget is to people. A lot of the questions pertaining to the children and also the right thing to do as a person, in reality, would have not allowed me to get through a month on my paychecks.
ReplyDeleteI think that the policy making would help tremendously with attribution error. I know that if I were to learn the environmental factors and other factors that caused a person to be in poverty, I would not assume that they are just lazy and do not want to find a job. Personally, I have never really been to a kitchen to help the poor, etc. so I would be interested in learning more about the factors instead of just assuming they are lazy. Outsiders looking into the lives of those living with poverty probably do not realize that there is an underlying reason for their poverty; anything from depression to any other psychological disorder.
Words: depression, psychological disorder, fundamental attribution error, environmental factors
Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the effect of one's personality or disposition in regards to performance, and underestimate external circumstances and factors. For example, if a student were to not turn in assignments, their professor might just assume that they are being lazy, when in fact, there are multiple negative influences that are affecting the student's performance.
ReplyDeleteThis simulation was both a wake up call, and somewhat of a downer. While I often found myself saying, "oh, I don't need to worry about that. I HAVE insurance on my parents' plan. I CAN move back in with them after I graduate. I DON'T have a child yet," it made you realize that many out there aren't quite so lucky to have the luxuries that we in the middle class consider basic expectancies. As we grow older, we tend to realize that problems become more problematic, stress becomes more stressful, depression becomes more serious, and money becomes more crucial to a comfortable life. And the safety net provided by our parents and our childhood will not last forever.
I strongly agree with this article's approach to combating fundamental attribution error. I believe there there is a huge stigma that associates homeless people with laziness, or self-inflicted mistakes, although it might not always be fair. I, myself, am guilty of this. It's hard not to view people in poverty as second class citizens. Based on their appearance, general demeanor, behavior, and cardboard signs with repetitive and consistent buzzwords and phrases, many associate those in poverty as substance abusers. However, this is not always the case, and the article's suggestion on how to strike down this stereotype is great, as educating youths on the realities of poverty will lead them to do their best not to end up with little means, as well as be more sympathetic towards those who don't have it quite so well.
Key terms: fundamental attribution error, stress, depression, stereotype, behavior
Very nice job!
DeleteFundamental Attribution Error is when a person overestimates the effect of one’s personality or disposition and underestimates the effect of the situation in explaining a person’s behavior in public. Or in other words, people blaming the individual self for their downfalls instead of the environment of the person. The simulation was not surprising as to what kind of decisions I had to make, but it did surprise me on everything that I had to give up, especially the things that I had to keep my child from doing because it cost too much. I did think it was a little difficult to try and decide whether I wanted to take the risk and do something that cost a little more, and hope that something bad, that I would have to pay for, wasn’t going to happen, or whether to choose the least costly thing and keep my child from experiencing something or most likely myself from doing something. I think that having kids volunteer, in not only homeless shelters and with homeless people, but with anything at all is a fantastic thing. I was a volunteer in my church group when I was younger and I learned a lot from it. I think that it would open up some of the people’s eyes to the seriousness of things like homelessness, and I hope that it would open their hearts to it as well.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to include a list of keywords.
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error refers to when we blame someone personally for their behaviors without first examining the situational factors. The simulation was pretty difficult. I had to try and make decisions on what to pay for while still thinking about future bills and expenses to pay for. I tried to decide on how these would affect my family and their wellbeing. I agree that having high school kids volunteer would help them have a better view on the poor. I do not know if it will help improve poverty however. I think it will make people more compassionate towards the poor, but I do not think it is the only thing we should do to lower the poverty level.
ReplyDeleteKeywords: fundamental attribution error
Push yourself to write more and create more links to previous and current course material.
DeleteFundamental attribution error is when we judge people’s actions based on their internal factors when we should consider the external factors as well. Which means that we look at what the person did and not what the environment may have contributed to the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe stimulation allowed me to see what it would be like to live in poverty for a month. The first choice I had was to decide to get a job or leave. Of course, finding a job was the best option for me. I found the stimulation a little difficult at times but also easy depending on the situation. Such as deciding if I wanted health insurance, I decided to opt out of it but it was a hard decision. The stimulation said that the majority of homeless do opt out of health insurance. However, when questions regarding my ‘child’, I found them easier; to do what is best for him/her and not let my hardships affect them but also allowing myself to help when I could. For instance, I had a question saying my child needed help in math, I am very good at math and was able to help him out. Also, there was one saying my child needed food money, I gave it to him when it was $3 a day (which over the course of a month is a lot of money) and there was a card for him that had $10 in it, I gave it to him (instead of keeping it for myself). It was hard choosing between what bills you needed to pay. Living in poverty would be very difficult, but I believe that I would manage. I do not spend my money now, as in, I spend it wisely. I feel that if I lived in poverty I would be okay for a while. At the end of the stimulation, I $228 left with me. I have always had a place for homeless people in my heart. I have always respected them because I know and understand that the reason they are homeless is not always their fault.
I think that approach would be beneficial. I have personally volunteered at a homeless shelter in Sioux Falls for the past three or so years. I go up there once every three to four months or so and I have gone on Christmas day for the past three years. So I personally think that having high school students volunteer at shelters is a great idea. I have gotten to know a few people pretty well over time and the reason they are homeless is not necessarily their fault, it was environmental factors that have contributed to it. I have always cared about the homeless and will continue to forever. I actually want to work at a shelter to help provide for these people.
Keywords: stress, depression, anxiety, coping, health, self-worth
The fundamental attribution error is when we tend to look just at characterological, trait-based, personality-driven, and dispositional factors in explaining behavior. Essentially we are looking at just the bad behavior and not the whole situational context in which the bad behavior occurred. My reaction to the simulation was mostly surprised because I have never been in a position that required budgeting for multiple people. It was hard to imagine how something as simple as allowing your child to play a sport becomes a large financial decision. I am used to budgeting for myself and although this is difficult it does not even come close to how difficult family budgeting must be. I find it is a lot easier to say no to myself than it would be to say no to activities that would benefit my child. It is hard to fathom the stress these situations put on your physical as well as mental health. Not only do these situations lead to depression but also once your depressed you cannot afford the help needed to treat depression. After reading the second article I think that requiring students to volunteer to help with the homeless population is an amazing idea. This interaction between them and the homeless population would allow the students to see the homeless as the people they actually are instead of generalizing them with the homeless stigma.
ReplyDeleteKey terms: stress, fundamental attribution error, physical and mental health, depression, stigma
The fundamental attribution error is when people make inferences/implications of a persons behaviors without taking situational factors into account. I really enjoyed reading the article because I think it had a lot of valuable, true information. People are often quick to judge others without thinking of possible situations that may have played a role in a given outcome. The simulation was very interesting and eye-opening. Some of the choices that had to be made with such a low budget were hard choices. I couldn't imagine making a lot of these choices, let alone making them on a regular basis and as a means of survival. I chose to make some more costly options, which did result in me running out of money. I thought that maybe spending a little more right off the bat would pay off, but was shown that was not the case. I never truly realized the tragedies and struggles that those who live in poverty face. These everyday struggles can be hard on both children and adults. Children may feel feelings of depression or loneliness because they may be unable to do certain activities due to living on a limited budget. Adults may feel the same, along with feeling stressed or anxious, because they are unable to give their families the things they want or even the things they need.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the second article, I believe that making high school students volunteer to help the poor and those living in poverty is a great idea. By getting students involved in the community, they can learn more about poverty and do their role in helping those that live in such conditions. I think it would improve both the students and those they were helping lives in many ways. It would be a positive experience for all.
Key words:
Fundamental attribution error
Stress
Depression
Stereotype
Fundamental attribution error is overestimating or underestimating the effect of a person’s personality and how it affects social behavior. Taking a situation and judging what other people might do as be your own personal bias but being wrong one way or another. This simulation is set up to make you fail. Yes, I have not lived for very long and I don’t know how hard real life can be but in saying that I feel there are many steps to help you not be in that situation. In saying that being in that situation would be hard, and all of those factors could come up at the same time and force someone to make hard decisions and trying to find that fine line and not cross it. The most difficult situation that the simulation brought up was your kids not getting the opportunity to do something because you do not have the money to pay for it. When it comes to judging people in poverty or being homeless I am not the most understanding. Maybe that is the way I was raised; I am truly bless with everything God has giving me and I know for a fact that I have not had to give many opportunity up in my life because of finical difficulties. But at the same time I work hard and I would do whatever I need to do to put myself not in this situation. Really it is about swallowing your pride and working your tail off to make a better life for yourself.
ReplyDeletePerson perception- the process of forming impressions of others
Attributions- are inferences that people draw about the causes of their own behavior, others’ behavior, and events
Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek information that supports one’s belief while not pursuing disconfirming information
Self-fulfilling prophecy- occurs when expectations about a person cause him or her to behave in ways that confirm the expectations
Stereotypes are widely held beliefs that people have certain characteristics because of their membership in a particular group.
The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to explain other people’s behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational factors.
Defensive attribution is a tendency to blame victims for their misfortune, so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way
A primacy effect occurs when initial information carries more weight than subsequent information]
Prejudice is a negative attitude toward members of a group; discrimination involves behaving differently, usually unfairly, toward the members of a group
Persuasion involves the communication of arguments and information intended to change another person’s attitudes
Attitudes are beliefs and feelings about people, objects, and ideas.
Need for cognition, the tendency to seek out and enjoy effortful thought, problem-solving activities, and in-depth analysis
Elaboration likelihood model, an individual’s thoughts about a persuasive message (rather than the actual message itself) will determine whether attitude change will occur
Conformity occurs when people yield to real or imagined social pressure
Compliance occurs when people yield to social pressure in their public behavior, even though their private beliefs have not changed
Normative influence operates when people conform to social norms for fear of negative social consequences
Informational influence operates when people look to others for how to behave in ambiguous situations.
The bystander effect- the tendency for individuals to be less likely to provide help when others are present than when they are alone.
Obedience is a form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually form someone in a position of authority
You don't need to make a list of keywords with descriptions (although it's great). I'm more looking for you to use these words in your write up...more application rather than just learning the definition. I want you to be able to not only understand what the concepts are, but be able to use them in everyday life. Make sense?
DeleteThe fundamental attribution error is when a person judges another person or group based on a single observed decision or action. We use this to explain the behavior of others. Unfortunately, we are basing this judgement on one decision of the other person without taking the situation or context into account. The simulation I thought was pretty well close to real life. Ever since I was younger, my father was very open with finances with me and taught me how to successfully budget. While living in a house, working, and going to school, I have my fair share of bills. Thankfully not as many as I had in the simulation. I went broke in 7 days.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important for people to be exposed to that kind of stuff at an early age such as high school simply to put things into perspective for them. As they see and talk to the people, they will hopefully appreciate their own life more.
Key words: fundamental attribution error, budgeting, stress, judgement
Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the effect of disposition or personality and underestimate the effect of the situation in explaining social behavior. My reaction to the simulation was an eye opener. I know things can be tough for people but I never paid to much attention to all the little things that poor parents, even middle class parents, have to deal with in one month. I didn't find it to be difficult but it was very informative.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article's view of how to make a person's community aware of how bad the poverty level is. I think it would be a great experience for high schoolers to understand what some of their classmates are going through which could include stress or depression caused by low income coming in or no food on the table for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I also believe that it could change the younger generation's behavior and curb their stereotypes that they have towards those less fortunate.
key words: stress, depression, behavior, stereotype