Classroom Activities/Demonstrations

1. Fundamental Attribution Error

I will warn you up front that this is not an activity for everyone. I have been doing this classroom activity for years and it always works: sometimes too well. Have the students each think of a question that they could ask you in which you may not know the answer. They must know the answer to the question they ask. Tell them that one idea is to think of an activity or hobby that they enjoy and formulate a question pertaining to that area. Inform the group that you will randomly select 10 students and have each ask his or her question. Before you start asking for questions, have about 10 students estimate how many you will get correct. Put these predictions on the board. The group will usually predict somewhere around 5 -7 out of the 10 correct. The next step is very important. Have the students write down responses to the same questions that you will be answering (use Handout Master 14.2). After each question is asked allow enough time for you and the students to write out an answer. Then pick another student for the next question. If the questions are too easy, you may want to prod the students into asking more difficult questions. After the 10th question, go back through the students and have them each give the correct answers. Do not let on to the students how many you have correct (if the questions are good and specific you should get only one or two correct). Next ask how many students got all 10, 9 of 10, 8 of 10, and so on. You will find that most students will get either 0 or 1 correct, although a few may get 3 or 4. Now comes the revealing part. Tell the students how many you got correct. When they see the discrepancy between the estimate and your actual score they will be surprised. This is due to the fundamental attribution error. We tend to see teachers as being very intelligent because they appear to know so much. The truth is that we teach in a relatively small area and we usually have notes with us if we are not sure of the specific topic. We do not have much more knowledge than the average person about topics such as sled-dog racing harnesses, or how many eggs to put into a certain recipe.

The students love this demonstration, but you must be willing to let the students know that you are not as globally intelligent as they give you credit for. I use this discussion to explain that I can't know everything (even about psychology), and if they ask something I don't know the answer to I will tell them I don't know and we can seek out an answer together.

2. Top-Ten Attributes.

Robin Gilmour (1988) found that men and women, when asked to list and rank desirable attributes in the other gender, produced dramatically different lists. The attributes women most sought in a man are as follows:

1. A record of achievement
2. Leadership qualities
3. Skill at his job
4. Earning potential
5. A sense of humor
6. Intellectual ability
7. Attentiveness
8. Common sense
9. Moral perception
10. Good abstract reasoning

1. Physical attractiveness
2. Ability in bed
3. Warmth and affection
4. Social skills
5. Homemaking ability
6. Dress sense
7. Sensitivity to others' needs
8. Good taste
9. Moral Perception
10. Artistic creativity

You should ask your class to prepare a similar list (before divulging the results of Gilmour's survey, which is provided as Overhead Master 14.1). Discuss with the students how perceptions of men and women might have changed in the past 10 years. You may also wish to discuss gender role stereotyping and how prevalent it is in these lists.

Data from R. Gilmour, "Desirable and Negative Qualities" in P. March (ed.), Eye to Eye, Salem House Publishers, Topsfield, MD, p. 197.

Note: Handout masters can be found in the hard copy of the instructor's manual.