Attributionally more complex people show less punitiveness and racism

Abstract

This is the Pre-Published Version Attributional Complexity, Punitiveness, and Racism 2 Abstract Based on past findings that attributionally more complex people make less fundamental attribution error, it was hypothesized that they would show less punitiveness and racism. In a study of 102 undergraduates, this hypothesis received robust support. The effect of attributional complexity was significant in 2 different punitiveness measures, a rehabilitation support measure, and 2 different racism measures. Also, this effect still held when demographic variables, crime victimization history, and need for cognition were statistically controlled. Moreover, attributional complexity mediated the effect of need for cognition and gender on punitiveness and racism.Theoretical implications are discussed.

Need for cognition and active information search in small student groups

“…These results suggest that NFC not only impacts on information processing per se, but also influences the active information search in small student groups. Moreover, research shows that NFC reduces prejudice and racism by increasing attributional complexity (Tam, Au, & Leung, 2008), NFC is negatively related to stereotyping (Carter, Hall, Carney, & Rosip, 2006) and dogmatism (Cacioppo et al, 1996), therefore individuals high in NFC are more likely than those low in NFC to acknowledge the value of different others as information resources and thus seek advice across rather than within social group boundaries.…”

“…To conclude: (1) NFC is positively associated with the amount of attentional resources allocated to unspecific information search (Enge et al, 2008;Fleischhauer et al, 2010), (2) with external information search effort (Verplanken, 1993;Verplanken et al, 1992), (3) with achievement goal orientation (Fleischhauer et al, 2010) and (4) with less prejudicial behavior and dogmatism towards out-group members (Carter et al, 2006;Tam et al, 2008). Building on a value in diversity argument (dissimilar others are more valuable as sources of unique/ distinct information as compared to similar others) (Van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007), the hypothesis of this study is that in small group settings, individuals high in NFC show higher information search behavior than those low in NFC and this difference is larger for different rather than same gender social interactions.…”

Gender Differences in Social Dominance Orientation: The Role of Cognitive Complexity

“…Early evidence for gender differences in attributional complexity was inconsistent (Blumberg and Silvera 1988;Fletcher et al 1986). More recent evidence suggests not only that women are higher in attributional complexity than men, but also that attributional complexity mediates gender differences in punitiveness and racism (Tam et al 2008), two variables strongly related to SDO Sidanius et al 1994). Thus, gender differences in attributional complexity may have important implications for understanding gender differences in SDO.…”

Angels and Demons Are Among Us

“…Lower attributional complexity and greater just-world beliefs and pessimism are associated with greater aggression and lower prosociality, especially in terms of criminal punishment (e.g., greater support for the death penalty and greater opposition to criminal rehabilitation, respectively; Butler & Moran, 2007;Kelley & Braithwaite, 1990;Sargent, 2004;Tam, Au, & Leung, 2008).…”