Question

using the insights of attribution theory and tendencies toward attribution errors, describe how a class interaction might go wrong for the professor. Be specific. What are the implications for work and personal situations in general?

Answer 1

The attribution error is the people's tendency to put more emphasis on personal characterstics in making judgement to someone's behaviour without taking into consideration, the situational factors.

A professor while interacting with the class should make judgement about the student very carefully, as there may be different reasons for their behavior in the class. Besides having impressionable minds, the youngsters are subject to occasional emotional turmoil that might affect their behavior. For example, a professor of HR, teaching at a university located in a restive area in a war torn Asian country may find the students' behavior irrational and erratic while teaching motivational theories, when the class has just been subject to reprimand for complaining about deteriorating law and order situation at the campus.

At work, the attributional errors may lead to poor judgement of skills and abilities based on the isolated incidents of an employee by the superiors and resulting in negative energies at work and competency taking the backseat. If continues for long, it may hamper workplace productivity and employee motivation.

In life, the attribution errors may lead to misunderstanding between family members, deterioration of personal relationships and creation of unwanted situations like a rift among the friends and allies, divorce between a husband and wife and severed business relationships among the partners.