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The Effects of Suspicion and Causal Uncertainty on Dispositional Inferences

Luby, Alison M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259097794

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
The correspondence bias is a robust phenomenon, but prior research has shown that some individuals can avoid this bias, e.g., those who are suspicious of another person’s motives. In four studies, I examined whether the reduction in the correspondence bias by suspicious individuals acts at least in part through the temporary activation of causal uncertainty (CU) feelings. In Study 1, participants read a scenario meant to activate differing levels of suspicion and subsequently recorded their temporarily activated CU feelings. Findings showed that CU feelings were activated more and correspondent inferences were made less when individuals were suspicious; however, I did not find evidence of mediation of the reduction in correspondent inferences by the increased activation of CU feelings. In Study 2, I attempted to address some of the potential limitations of Study 1 by changing the placement of the CU feelings scale, adding more CU feelings-related dependent measures, and providing a more engaging suspicion-inducing scenario. Findings showed that participants’ levels of suspicion predicted their CU feelings more in the low- than high-ulterior motive condition. In turn, those CU feelings mediated the reduction in correspondent inferences. As this moderated mediation was unexpected, Study 3 was a replication of Study 2 and revealed the same pattern of results. Study 4 provides support for the idea that the unexpected findings in Studies 2 & 3 resulted from the differential ambiguity of which potential ulterior motive was responsible for the target’s behavior in the low- and high-ulterior motive conditions. Specifically, in Study 4, I attempted to manipulate the ambiguity of the motives of a target in a suspicious scenario. I found that the ease of resolution of which motives were responsible for a target’s behavior predicted whether CU mediated the reduction in correspondent inferences.
Gifford Weary (Advisor)
Robert Arkin (Committee Member)
Richard Petty (Committee Member)
Shashi Matta (Committee Member)
139 p.
Psychology; Social Psychology
suspicion; causal uncertainty; dispositional inferences; ulterior motives; attribution; correspondence bias; fundamental attribution error

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Luby, A. M. (2009). The Effects of Suspicion and Causal Uncertainty on Dispositional Inferences [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259097794

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Luby, Alison. The Effects of Suspicion and Causal Uncertainty on Dispositional Inferences. 2009. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259097794.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Luby, Alison. "The Effects of Suspicion and Causal Uncertainty on Dispositional Inferences." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259097794

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1259097794
731
© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.