In the "quiz show" study conducted by Ross, Amabile, and Steinmetz, subjects were randomly assigned to serve as "questioners" or "contestants." Observers who watched the simulated quiz show tended to perceive the "questioners" as more knowledgeable than the "contestants." The observers committed the error of:
A) assigning favorable characteristics to high-status persons as compared to low-status persons
B) equating intelligence with verbal skills
C) making situational attributions for behavior rather than dispositional ones
D) underestimating the impact of social roles in explaining behavior

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observers underestimated the impact of social roles (questioner vs. contestant) in explaining behavior, attributing the questioners' ability to ask questions to their knowledge rather than their assigned role.

In the "Quiz Show" Study Conducted by Ross, Amabile, and Steinmetz