Microsoft Word Chapter 1 done doc

5.6 APPLICATIONS OF ATTRIBUTION THEORY : 
Attribution theory helps us to understand why people have 
depression and prejudices. 
Attribution and Depression : 
Depressives have a different attributional style than non-
depressives. They are often more realistic in their attributions, 
which may be why they are depressed! Depressed persons often 
show a self-defeating pattern of attributions, which is the opposite 
of the self-serving bias. They attribute negative outcomes to stable, 
internal causes and positive outcomes to temporary external 
causes They are characterized by a particular attributional style - 
specifically, they tend to make internal-stable attributions for bad 
events (e.g., I can never do well in mathematics). These are the 
most punishing of all possible attributions. They undermine the 
person’s self-esteem and make him/her have a dismal outlook 
about future performances. Depressives may have an 
unrealistically dark view of life. 
Attribution and prejudice : 
 
A prejudice is a negative belief or feeling about a particular 
group of individuals. Prejudices are often passed on from one 
generation to the next. 

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Prejudice is a destructive phenomenon, and it is pervasive 
because it serves many psychological, social, and economic 
functions. It allows people to avoid doubt and fear. It gives people 
scapegoats to blame in times of trouble and can boost self-esteem. 
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that prejudice allows people to 
bond with their own group by contrasting their own groups to 
outsider groups. For example  most religious and ethnic groups 
maintain some prejudices against other groups, which help to make 
their own group seem more special. Prejudice legitimizes 
discrimination because it apparently justifies one group’s 
dominance over another.
People’s social identities depend on the groups they belong 
to. From a person’s perspective, any group he belongs to is an