Question

According to Deaux and Major, what are the three determinants of behavior? Give a real life example of each in a one-page writing assignment.

Answer 1

• According to Deaux and Major, the three determinants of behavior are the perceiver, the target, and the situation.
• The perceiver is the person who is observing the target’s behavior. This person has preconceived expectations about what the outcomes of the targets behavior. In some cases, the perceiver sees what they want to see. This is known as cognitive confirmation.
• In other cases, the perceiver may actually alter the targets behavior because of their expectations. This event is known as behavioral confirmation. One real life example of the perceiver is if a teacher, were to believe that one student was more capable of completing a math problem than another.
• The teacher may give that student more opportunities to prove their abilities than the student they believe to be less capable. The teacher could do this by calling them to the boardor calling on them to answer questions more frequently. This would be an example of behavioral confirmation.
• The second determinant is target.
• a) Self verification- behaving in ways consistent with our self concept (i.e. if you are a traditional male, you value the importance to be emotionless)
• b) self presentation: our concern about how our behavior appears to others (i.e. the traditional male will note that there are appropriate times for emotion-funeral)
• The third determinant is situation.There are features in the situation that influence the observance of sex differences which include behavioral constraints.Boys and girls are seen in typical gender roles right from the way they dress up to the way they are brought up. Girls are associated with pink and boys with blue.Boys are considered not to cry and be sensitive whereas girls can do that.
• Also,in some situations you would adhering to what you believe in i.e your principles and values and hold a strong belief.If I strongly hold a belief aganist hunting,I will voice my opinion to a group of people whom I expect to disagree with me especially,non-vegetarians.