Lisa and Sally ask a job applicant to talk about her background for a few minutes.Before doing so, the applicant says she has bad allergies, so she might sniffle and speak with a shaky voice.The applicant then talks about herself, and she does, in fact, sniffle and speak with a shaky voice.While the applicant talks, Lisa is attentive.But Sally is tired and her mind wanders a bit.Attribution research suggests that, compared with Lisa, Sally is more likely to
A) infer that the applicant is anxious or upset.
B) be impressed by the applicant.
C) notice subtle things about the applicant.
D) deduce that the applicant is serious about the job.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Attribution research suggests that when people are not paying close attention, they tend to rely on internal attributions (such as the applicant being anxious or upset) rather than external attributions (such as the applicant having allergies) to explain someone's behavior. So, Sally is more likely to infer that the applicant is anxious or upset, while Lisa is more likely to attribute the sniffles and shaky voice to the applicant's allergies.

Lisa and Sally Ask a Job Applicant to Talk About