Question 1

Monica sees Laurena,who is normally shy,give a speech in class with confidence.Monica therefore attributes Laurena's behavior to the course requirement.Monica's explanation for Laurena's behavior is an example of

Accepted Answer

Monica is attributing Laurena's behavior to the specific situation or context (class presentation) rather than her personality or disposition. This is known as a situational attribution.

Question 2

Freire did very poorly on his last arithmetic test.The tendency to make the fundamental attribution error might lead his sixth-grade teacher to conclude that Freire did poorly because

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional (internal) explanations for someone's behavior, rather than considering situational (external) factors. In this case, if the teacher attributes Freire's poor performance solely to his lack of motivation (a dispositional factor), without considering whether there were other situational factors (like test difficulty or personal circumstances), they are committing the fundamental attribution error.

Question 3

The fundamental attribution error refers to our tendency to underestimate the impact of ________ and to overestimate the impact of ________ in explaining the behavior of others.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The fundamental attribution error refers to our...

Question 4

Attribution theory was designed to account for

Accepted Answer

Attribution theory specifically deals with how individuals explain others' behavior. It does not address self-disclosure, heredity and environment, or group dynamics.

Question 5

Ksana insists that her boyfriend's car accident resulted from his carelessness.Her explanation for the accident provides an example of

Accepted Answer

Ksana is attributing the cause of the accident to her boyfriend's personal disposition (carelessness), rather than to situational factors. Therefore, it is a dispositional attribution.

Question 6

Which of the following would be most consistent with a GRIT strategy?

Accepted Answer

GRIT (Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction) strategy involves making small mutual concessions to reduce tensions and build trust between parties. The announcement of cutting defense expenditures and inviting the enemy to do the same is an example of a small mutual concession that could lead to a reduction in tensions. The other options involve aggressive or confrontational tactics that do not align with the principles of GRIT strategy.

Question 7

Our explanations of our own admirable actions are ________ likely to involve situational attributions than our explanations of our own shameful actions.Our explanations of our own actions performed long ago are ________ likely to involve dispositional attributions than our explanations of our own very recent actions.

Accepted Answer

Our explanations for admirable actions tend to attribute them to our own character or disposition, rather than to the situation, making us less likely to use situational attributions for these actions. Conversely, as time passes, we are more likely to attribute our past actions to our character or disposition (dispositional attributions) rather than to the specific circumstances at the time, hence the likelihood of using dispositional attributions increases for actions performed long ago compared to very recent actions.

Question 8

Observing yourself on a video replay is most likely to increase your tendency to attribute your behavior to

Accepted Answer

Observing oneself on video replay is likely to increase the tendency to attribute behavior to personality traits, as individuals tend to see their behavior as consistent with their beliefs and attitudes. Cognitive dissonance and role playing may also play a role in behavior, but the focus of the question is on self-attribution. Attitudes alone are not sufficient to explain behavior observed on video replay.

Question 9

Attribution theory suggests that we tend to attribute others' behavior either to their

Accepted Answer

Attribution theory suggests that we tend to attribute others' behavior to either their dispositional factors (traits, personality, etc.) or their situational factors (environmental factors, circumstances, etc.). Therefore, choice D -- dispositions or their situations -- is the best answer option.

Question 10

A child hits one of his older siblings,who is constantly teasing him.People from East Asian cultures would be more likely than people from individualist Western cultures to explain the younger child's behavior in terms of

Accepted Answer

People from East Asian cultures tend to be more context-sensitive and emphasize situational factors when explaining people's behavior. In this case, the stressful situation of being constantly teased by the older sibling may be seen as a contributing factor to the younger child's behavior of hitting.

Question 11

Which branch of psychology is most directly concerned with the study of how people think about,influence,and relate to one another?

Accepted Answer

Social psychology is the branch of psychology that is most directly concerned with studying how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. It explores a variety of topics related to social behavior, including social perception, social identity, conformity, group dynamics, prejudice, and interpersonal attraction. While developmental, personality, and clinical psychology also touch on some aspects of social behavior, they each have a more narrow focus.

Question 12

Professor Szumski conducts research designed to identify persuasion strategies that promote lasting changes in attitudes.Professor Szumski is most likely a ________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Professor Szumski's research focuses on social psychology, specifically on how persuasion strategies can lead to lasting changes in attitudes. This suggests that he is interested in understanding how individuals are influenced by social factors, rather than biological or personality factors. Clinical psychology focuses on understanding and treating mental illnesses, which is not directly related to Professor Szumski's research. Biological psychology focuses on understanding the biological basis of behavior and mental processes, which is also not directly related to his research.

Question 13

We are NOT likely to make the fundamental attribution error if we observe someone

Accepted Answer

When we observe someone in a variety of situations, we are more likely to attribute their behavior to external factors rather than internal ones (fundamental attribution error). This is because we can see how they act differently in different situations. Therefore, choice A is the best option. None of the other choices necessarily affect our tendency to make the fundamental attribution error.

Question 14

Mr.Hughes heard what sounded like cries for help from a swimmer located 30 yards from the ocean shoreline.He continued walking along the beach,however,because he figured that one of the many swimmers in the vicinity would provide help if it was needed.His reaction best illustrates the dynamics involved in

Accepted Answer

The bystander effect is the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present, as the responsibility to act is diffused across the group. Mr. Hughes' decision to continue walking despite hearing cries for help from a swimmer is a classic example of the bystander effect. He assumed that someone else would intervene, as there were many swimmers in the vicinity, and did not personally take action.

Question 15

The fundamental attribution error is most likely to occur when we explain an instance of

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error involves attributing someone's behavior to their internal characteristics rather than external factors. As such, bad behavior performed by a person we have never met before is more likely to lead to the fundamental attribution error as we don't have any external context to consider. In contrast, good behavior performed by a person we have previously met in a number of different situations allows us to consider external factors that may have contributed to that behavior.

Question 16

Compared with people from East Asian cultures,those from individualist Western countries are more likely to demonstrate

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional explanations for other people's behaviors and underestimate the importance of situational factors. Research has shown that people from individualist Western cultures are more prone to making this error compared to those from collectivist East Asian cultures, who tend to put more emphasis on situational factors when explaining behavior.

Question 17

In explaining the actions of people we do not know well,we often demonstrate

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency of people to overemphasize dispositional (internal) explanations for other people's behavior instead of considering situational (external) factors. This means that we often attribute someone's actions to their inherent characteristics rather than the context they are in, especially if we do not know them well.

Question 18

We have a tendency to explain the behavior of strangers we have observed in only one type of situation in terms of ________ and to explain our own behavior in terms of ________.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the fundamental attribution error, where we tend to attribute the behavior of others to their personality traits (assuming their actions reflect their character) while attributing our own behavior to situational constraints (believing our actions are influenced by the situation we are in).

Question 19

The hostilities between two racial subgroups of a riverfront community were dramatically reduced when the threat of the river flooding its banks required that they work together to save their town.This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

The scenario described in the question pertains to the concept of superordinate goals. When people belonging to different groups are given a larger goal that they can only achieve through working together, it helps to reduce intergroup hostilities and prejudices. In this case, the threat of the river flooding created a situation where both racial subgroups had to work together to save their town. This shared goal helped to reduce the tensions between them.

Question 20

The fundamental attribution error is illustrated in our tendency to underestimate the extent to which others' behavior is influenced by

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error refers to the common human tendency to underestimate the impact of situational factors (like assigned roles) on others' behavior, while overestimating the influence of personal characteristics or traits.

Quiz 14: Social Psychology