Date of Graduation
5-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Biological Sciences
Advisor/Mentor
Makhanova, Anastasia
Committee Member/Reader
Lessner, Daniel
Committee Member/Second Reader
Bailey, Tameka
Committee Member/Third Reader
Thallapuranam, Suresh
Abstract
Immune system inflammation is associated with sickness behavior, depressive mood, and alteration of decision-making processes. Because of these cognitive effects, inflammation may also lead to increased use of heuristics, for example the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE). In the current research, inflammation was experimentally increased using the influenza vaccine, with participants receiving either the vaccine or a placebo injection and completing a measure that tests for the FAE. There were no significant differences between the two conditions regarding the number of personal, situational, or overall attributions made by the participants in the measure that would indicate use of the FAE. However, exploratory correlational analyses found that participants who were more concerned about COVID-19 were more likely to make personal attributions, which are indicative of the FAE. Future research should be conducted to establish a stronger link between inflammation and heuristic use.
Keywords
influenza vaccine, cytokines, inflammation, social perception, social behavior, decision-making
Citation
Odom, J. (2022). Utilization of the Fundamental Attribution Error with Increased Immune System Inflammation. Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/biscuht/50