> Louis_Schmier wrote > "You know, I wish I had a dollar each time I heard those > long-running, self-pitying periodic professorial moanings and groanings. > When students are excited, enthused, turned on, perform as we want and > expect, we don't hesitate to lay claim to the reward and proudly wear the > laurel wreath. But, when students don't do as we demand, don't climb to > our lofty heights, don't meet our expectations, and give us heartache, we > are only too willing to shun them, flee to the hills, and heap the blame > upon them. Isn't amazing how so many of us academics want it both ways: > claim and blame as it suits us." > What you are describing are actually examples that I use in class to illustrate to well known social psychological principles: "self-serving bias" and the "fundamental attribution error." I point out how faculty attribute poor performance to (internal) dispositions of their students while students blame professorial dispositions. Both underestimate the importance of situational variables on the performance of the other. And both exhibit a self serving bias by interpreting events to make themselves look better(or less incompetent). So what Louis is describing is a quite pervasive human strategy. But I will agree that we professors should be a bit more aware of these biases/errors than the (relatively) callow youths we instruct. Ed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. Graduate Coordinator, Holocaust and Genocide Studies Department of Psychology, West Chester Univ. of Pennsylvania Office: 610-436-3151; Home: 610-363-1939; Fax: 610-436-2846 Office hours: Mondays 12-4 p.m.; Tues. & Thurs.: 8 a.m.-noon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass fiddler and herpetoculturist ( http://www.adcham.com) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shameless self promotion: The Mill Creek Bluegrass Band performs every Tuesday night at Dugal's Inn, Mortonville, 8 miles west of West Chester, PA. Call 610- 486-0953 for directions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
