Question

Have some fun with this one: One way to test out the power of a social norm is to break it. Without doing something so dramatic that it would be unsafe, lands you in jail, or seriously compromises your relationships, select a behavior that people practice without question and do something different that will surprise them. (For example, you could face the rear when you are in an elevator, eat a hamburger inside-out in public, wear an article of clothing "incorrectly," etc. Be creative.) How do people react to you? What attributions (see the "fundamental attribution error") do they make about your behavior? As observers, do they explain your behavior in negative trait terms, as the fundamental attribution error would predict? (about 2 paragraphs) (Be sure to include references and specifically address the "fundamental attribution theory" for full credit. Also, please note that this is a "hands on" assignment: an "experiment" of sorts. Posting about something that has happened in the past will not meet the requirements for this assignment.)

Answer 1

Many of us might have been in a situation where we had to behave in a relatively unusual way, which might have attracted other's attention. Standing in an elevator and facing rear, while not interacting with anyone because of being in a hurry, is one of the awkward situation some of su have been. Personally, This was a situation I had encountered quite recently, whereby due to the pandemic and being paranoid for being in contact facing the rear of the elevater seemed a better option. The reaction of the people was quite wierd, and funny to experience, but unpleasant at the same time. People tried to maintain a distance, and gazed in a very unusual manner, as if some wierdo is standing in the elevator, potentially a dangerous person.

Fundamental attribution error is the right explanation for events and experiences like these, whereby people assume such behaviors as a part of personality or the characteristic of the person rather than a situation which might have forced them to behave that way. The fact that people tried to maintain a distance upon seeing a person standing facing the rear of the elevator, maybe thinking that the person is fishy, or something is not right with this person; they might have assumed that there is a flaw in the personality or characteristic in the person, rather than assuming that some external situation has forced them to behave that way.