Ultimate Attribution Error - Overview

Overview

First established by Pettigrew, the ultimate attribution error self-serving bias that influences how group members react to both outgroup and ingroup members and their actions. The ultimate attribution error dictates that negative behaviours from an outgroup member is based on the personality and characteristics of the member which is then extended to all of the members of that outgroup. Meanwhile positive behaviours in outgroup’s are based on luck, situational or circumstantial factors. On the other hand negative behaviours committed by ingroup members will be judged as situational factors rather than personality factors as compared to outgroup members. Furthermore positive behaviours from ingroup members are attributed to the personality and the characteristics of the ingroup members. This attribution is considered a root of prejudice as people who commit this attribution will usually see members of other races, religions, cultures, or even social class an as genetically and/or dispositionally inferior or flawed, while people from their own racial, cultural, or religious ingroup, upon committing the same negative behaviours, are good people who are dealing with specific situations the best they can. This results in a reduced chance of accepting an outgroup as any positive behaviours are downplayed while negative behaviours are highlighted. Ultimate attribution error is used worldwide in many cultures and races(Taylor & Jaggi, 1974; Duncan, 1976 ) and therefore is seen to be an influential cognitive process in humans.