Question 1

People tend to make ________ attributions when levels of consensus and distinctiveness are low and consistency information is high.
A) specific
B) unstable
C) external
D) internal

Accepted Answer

When levels of consensus and distinctiveness are low and consistency information is high, people tend to make internal attributions, which means they attribute the cause of the behavior to the person's internal characteristics, such as personality or ability. This is because there is less information available to suggest that the behavior was caused by external factors, such as the situation or other people's influence.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about attribution is INACCURATE?
A) The more an individual's reaction is specific to one occasion, the harder it is to make a definite attribution to either the person or the situation.
B) All other things being equal, the more an individual's reaction is shared by others, the less it says about the individual and the more it says about the situation.
C) The more someone's reaction is confined to a particular situation, the less this reaction says about that individual and the more it says about the specific situation.
D) If an individual's reaction occurs just once, it is easier to determine whether the behavior should be attributed to the situation or to the person.

Accepted Answer

This statement is inaccurate because it suggests that it is easier to determine attribution when behavior occurs just once. However, it is often difficult to determine attribution based on a single observation or incident.

Question 3

Recall that Dan Gilbert studied why people tend to attribute others' behaviors to dispositional factors. According to his theoretical framework, this pattern of attribution occurs because people tend to
A) consider a person's behavior and the situation simultaneously.
B) be emotionally invested in explaining others' behaviors in terms of stable personal characteristics.
C) make initial dispositional inferences without later adjusting them on the basis of situational information.
D) have difficulty identifying what other people's behaviors signify.

Accepted Answer

According to Gilbert's theoretical framework, this pattern of attribution occurs because people make initial dispositional inferences without later adjusting them on the basis of situational information.

Question 4

Hector plays golf every Saturday. His wife, Alicia, notices that after a winning round, Hector tends to play with the kids. After a losing round, he tends to watch television by himself. According to ________ , over time, Alicia is likely to conclude that Hector's golf games can exert a causal effect on his behavior at home.
A) emotional amplification theory
B) the covariation principle
C) the augmentation principle
D) fundamental attribution theory

Accepted Answer

The covariation principle states that people are more likely to draw causal inferences when they see a systematic relationship between an event and a potential cause. In this scenario, Alicia is observing a pattern between Hector's golf performance and his behavior at home, which is a systematic relationship that supports her drawing a causal inference.

Question 5

According to social psychological research on the covariation principle, which condition should prompt the highest expectations about the TechnoCool dance club?
A) Hardly anyone raves about TechnoCool, your friend raves about all clubs, and your friend has raved about TechnoCool on many different occasions.
B) Everyone raves about TechnoCool, your friend rarely raves about any clubs, and your friend has raved about TechnoCool on many different occasions.
C) Your friend raves about all clubs, TechnoCool exceeds your friend's expectations, and positive experiences tend to occur at TechnoCool.
D) Your friend dislikes all clubs, TechnoCool exceeds your friend's expectations, and negative experiences tend to occur at TechnoCool.

Accepted Answer

The covariation principle suggests that we make attributions by noting the pattern between the presence (or absence) of possible causal factors and whether or not the behavior occurs. In choice B, the fact that everyone raves about TechnoCool (high consensus), your friend, who rarely raves about any clubs (low distinctiveness), has raved about TechnoCool on many occasions (high consistency), suggests that TechnoCool is genuinely exceptional, leading to high expectations.

Question 6

The just world hypothesis refers to
A) the belief that positive events are more likely than negative events.
B) the belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get.
C) a tendency to blame our own failures on external events.
D) a tendency to expect the best of people about whom we care.

Accepted Answer

The just world hypothesis is the belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get. It implies that individuals who have achieved success have done so through their own merits and those who suffer misfortune have brought it upon themselves. This perspective can lead to victim-blaming and a lack of empathy for those who have experienced adversity beyond their control.

Question 7

Recall that in one experiment, participants were assigned to one of two roles: questioner or responder. The questioner read a series of questions to the responder and told the responder how to answer each question. In fact, the questioner used a preprinted list to tell responders exactly how to answer each question. The results of this research showed that the
A) questioners made judgments that support the false consensus effect.
B) responders relied on the discounting principle.
C) questioners still drew inferences about what the responders were like.
D) responders formed negative impressions of the questioners.

Accepted Answer

Despite being told how to answer each question, questioners still drew inferences about what the responders were like. This suggests that people still form impressions of others even when their behavior is heavily influenced by outside factors.

Question 8

According to Dan Gilbert, the first stage of the attributional process entails making ________ attributions that are ________. The second, adjustment, stage entails making ________ that are ________.
A) defensive; self-enhancing; realistic attributions; deliberate
B) dispositional; automatic; situational attributions; deliberate
C) temporary; subconscious; stable attributions; conscious
D) situational; deliberate; dispositional attributions; automatic

Accepted Answer

According to Dan Gilbert, the first stage of the attributional process entails making dispositional attributions that are automatic. The second stage, adjustment, entails making situational attributions that are deliberate. Option A is incorrect because defensive and self-enhancing attributions are not part of Gilbert's framework. Option C is incorrect because it does not accurately describe the concept of stability in attribution theory. Option D is incorrect because it confuses the order of Gilbert's stages and the type of attributions made in each stage.

Question 9

Maria, Min, and Bobby ran for class president. When the votes were tallied, Maria received thirty-eight votes, Min received thirty-seven votes, and Bobby garnered thirty-five votes. According to Medvec and colleagues' (1995) study of Olympic athletes' emotional reactions, one would expect ________ to be the LEAST happy with the election outcome.
A) Maria
B) Min
C) Bobby
D) All three would be equally happy.

Accepted Answer

According to Medvec and colleagues' study, the person who comes in second place (in this case, Min) is more likely to be less happy than the person who comes in third place (Bobby). Therefore, Min would be the least happy with the election outcome.

Question 10

Lissett and Janet both responded to a newspaper ad for "friendly and outgoing" sales associates. While interviewing with the store manager, Lissett comes across as extraverted while Janet comes across as shy. After the interviews, the manager thinks about the two applicants. According to the ________ principle, the manager should feel more confident that ________ behavior is a clear reflection of her true self.
A) augmentation; Janet's
B) augmentation; Lissett's
C) covariation; Lissett's
D) covariation; Janet's

Accepted Answer

The augmentation principle suggests that when a person's behavior goes against situational norms or expectations, it is seen as a more genuine reflection of their character. Since being shy is contrary to the "friendly and outgoing" nature expected for a sales associate role, Janet's behavior would be seen as a more authentic indication of her personality according to this principle.

Question 11

The actor-observer difference is the tendency to make ________ attributions for one's own behavior, while making ________ attributions for others' behavior.
A) deductive; inductive
B) distinctive; common
C) global; specific
D) situational; dispositional

Accepted Answer

The actor-observer difference is the tendency to make situational attributions for one's own behavior, while making dispositional attributions for others' behavior. In other words, we tend to attribute our own actions to external factors or circumstances, while we tend to attribute the actions of others to their personality traits or internal qualities.

Question 12

Several mountain climbers were trapped on Mount Everest during a blinding snowstorm. Many climbers died on the mountain. One climber made it all the way back to base camp. Unfortunately, however, he collapsed and died mere yards away from the safety of his tent. Because this climber came so close to saving himself, ________ is particularly likely to occur in response to this climber's death.
A) the fundamental attribution error
B) the correspondence bias
C) emotional amplification
D) discounting

Accepted Answer

Emotional amplification is the tendency for people to have stronger emotional reactions to events that almost happened but didn't, or events that came very close to happening. In this case, the climber's death is particularly tragic because he came so close to saving himself, but ultimately did not. This close call is likely to amplify the emotions felt by those who hear about the climber's death. The other options (A, B, and D) do not fit the situation as well.

Question 13

The self-serving bias tends to reflect all of the following EXCEPT
A) the motivation to feel good about oneself.
B) rational thought processes.
C) sound attributional reasoning.
D) the motivation to be in control.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The self-serving bias tends to reflect all...

Question 14

The ________ holds that people have a tendency to believe that another person's behavior is due to his or her disposition rather than the situation in which that person finds him- or herself.
A) fundamental attribution error
B) self-serving bias
C) covariation principle
D) observer fallacy

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overemphasize dispositional explanations for other people's behavior and downplay situational factors.

Question 15

The Westlake Hills Little League team just lost a game. According to research on attribution biases, right after the game, the Westlake Hills coach is likely to say,
A) "We just do not seem to have what it takes to be a winning team."
B) "Some of the team members just did not seem motivated to win."
C) "Our opponents played better than ever today."
D) "You guys really played well today."

Accepted Answer

The coach is likely to attribute the loss to external factors, such as the opponents playing better, rather than internal factors, such as the team not being good enough. This is known as the fundamental attribution error, which is a common attribution bias.

Question 16

An American soldier is captured and tortured by enemy forces. The enemy then releases a videotape of the soldier proclaiming a deep hatred for America. According to the discounting principle, Americans who later view this videotape are likely to explain the soldier's proclamations in terms of ________ causes.
A) internal
B) external
C) dispositional
D) global

Accepted Answer

The discounting principle suggests that when explaining someone's behavior, people look for external rather than internal causes (i.e. situational factors rather than dispositional factors). In this case, the enemy's torture and manipulation of the soldier would be seen as external factors that led to his false proclamation of hatred for America.

Question 17

The ________ is the idea that behavior should be attributed to potential causes that occur along with the behavior.
A) covariation principle
B) consensus principle
C) explanatory theory
D) attribution theory

Accepted Answer

The covariation principle states that behavior should be attributed to potential causes that occur along with the behavior, such as the presence of a certain situation or stimulus. This principle is a key component of attribution theory, which seeks to understand how people explain the causes of behavior. Consensus principle and explanatory theory are not directly related to this concept.

Question 18

According to the augmentation principle, which action is most likely to be attributed to the personality of the actor?
A) clapping after a musical performance
B) asking a server for the check after finishing a meal
C) wearing a tropical shirt and shorts to a funeral
D) dancing at a party

Accepted Answer

The augmentation principle suggests that actions which deviate from expected norms or behaviors in a given context are more likely to be attributed to the personality of the actor. Wearing a tropical shirt and shorts to a funeral (C) is a significant deviation from the norm, thus it is most likely to be seen as reflecting the personality of the individual, as opposed to conforming to situational expectations.

Question 19

Tiesha thinks that she did poorly on her exam because the questions were too hard, but that her friend did poorly because he is not smart. Tiesha's attributions reflect the
A) discounting principle.
B) covariation principle.
C) actor-observer difference.
D) fundamental attribution error.

Accepted Answer

Tiesha is attributing her own poor performance to external factors (the difficulty of the exam) but her friend's poor performance to internal factors (not being smart). This reflects the actor-observer difference, where people tend to attribute their own actions to situational factors but others' actions to personal factors.

Question 20

Flora will most likely attribute Jeremy's quiet, shy behavior to his introverted personality when
A) consistency is high, and consensus and distinctiveness are low.
B) consensus and consistency are high, but distinctiveness is low.
C) consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency are all low.
D) consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency are all high.

Accepted Answer

When consistency is high (meaning Jeremy always behaves in this manner), and consensus and distinctiveness are low (meaning others do not behave similarly in the situation and Jeremy does not behave similarly in other situations), Flora is likely to attribute Jeremy's behavior to his internal trait or personality, in this case being introverted.

Quiz 5: Social Attribution: Explaining Behavior

People tend to make ________ attributions when levels of consensus and distinctiveness are low and consistency information is high.

Which of the following statements about attribution is INACCURATE?

Recall that Dan Gilbert studied why people tend to attribute others' behaviors to dispositional factors. According to his theoretical framework, this pattern of attribution occurs because people tend to

According to social psychological research on the covariation principle, which condition should prompt the highest expectations about the TechnoCool dance club?

The just world hypothesis refers to

According to Dan Gilbert, the first stage of the attributional process entails making attributions that are . The second, adjustment, stage entails making that are .

The actor-observer difference is the tendency to make attributions for one's own behavior, while making attributions for others' behavior.

The self-serving bias tends to reflect all of the following EXCEPT

The ________ holds that people have a tendency to believe that another person's behavior is due to his or her disposition rather than the situation in which that person finds him- or herself.

The Westlake Hills Little League team just lost a game. According to research on attribution biases, right after the game, the Westlake Hills coach is likely to say,

The ________ is the idea that behavior should be attributed to potential causes that occur along with the behavior.

According to the augmentation principle, which action is most likely to be attributed to the personality of the actor?

Tiesha thinks that she did poorly on her exam because the questions were too hard, but that her friend did poorly because he is not smart. Tiesha's attributions reflect the

Flora will most likely attribute Jeremy's quiet, shy behavior to his introverted personality when