Fundamental Attribution Error

1) Public compliance is when an individual follows the actions or attitudes of the group, even though they do not personally agree with the group’s actions or attitudes. This social phenomenon is evident in the scene when the students sneak out of the library because Bender wants to go to his locker. The group is clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and Brian verbally communicates this. Despite their personal disagreement with the group sneaking out, they all follow Bender and each other.

2) Fundamental Attribution Error is the tendency for people to think that a person’s behavior and attitudes are due to their personal traits, while ignoring the significance of their situation on their behavior. The teacher Mr. Vernon makes this error when looking at John Bender. We learn as the kids are having lunch that Bender comes from an abusive home, and this would put him at risk for anti-social behavior. However it is evident from how Mr. Vernon treats
Bender in the closet that he attributes Benders behavior to his personality, and not his situation at home.

3) Stereotype threat is a social phenomenon that occurs when people feel they would be confirming a negative stereotype concerning their social group.
When in the library, Bender makes the assumption that Brian is a virgin. Brian, not wanting to confirm the stereotype that all “brains” are virgins, lied and said that he has slept with many people, including Claire. In this situation Bender placed Brian into the stereotype, and Brian lied to make it seem like he was not associated with the negative stereotype.

4) Out-group homogeneity is the idea that members of the out-group are similar to each other, but members of your in-group are diverse. In the beginning of the movie, Claire makes the distinction between academic clubs and “other kinds of clubs” like sports or social clubs. To Bender all the clubs are the same, because he is looking at clubs as an out-group. To Claire however, the clubs at school are diverse, and it is important to make the distinction because academic clubs to her are out groups
themselves.

5) Conformation Bias is the social phenomenon where people tend to look for information that confirms their preconceived ideas about a person or a group. As Brian wrote in his essay to Mr. Vernon “ you see us the way you want to see us…” The conformation bias is seen when the students are sitting at the end of the movie talking about what they did to receive detention. Bender notices Claire’s earrings and makes comments about how expensive they must have been, he goes on to rhetorically question if “daddy” bought them for her. Bender is looking for information to confirm his idea that Claire has the perfect life, rich and loved by her family.