Question 1

Perry believes that Georgia lost her job because she was incompetent when, in reality, the company was just downsizing. Perry has committed

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to attribute others' actions to their character or personality, while underestimating external factors. Perry's assumption about Georgia's job loss due to incompetence, ignoring the situational factor of company downsizing, is a classic example of this error.

Question 2

You and your friend have a fight and say very hurtful "things" to each other. In judging your own behavior, you say to yourself, "I was justified in saying those things to her because she betrayed me." In judging how your friend acted during the fight, you say "She had no right to say those things to me. She is a liar and an ungrateful person." In your interpretation of your friend's behavior, you are the observer assigning a(n)__________ cause.

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, by attributing your friend's behavior to her being a "liar and an ungrateful person," you are assigning an internal cause to her actions. This means you believe her actions stem from her personal characteristics or disposition, rather than external circumstances.

Question 3

The tendency to assign internal causes to other people's behavior and external causes to our own behavior is called

Accepted Answer

The actor-observer bias refers to the tendency to attribute other people's actions to their character or personality (internal causes) while attributing our own actions to situational factors (external causes).

Question 4

Ramon is convinced that less restrictive ownership of guns by law-abiding citizens will greatly reduce the crime rates in this country. Ramon's ideas regarding gun ownership and crime rates represent which component of an attitude?

Accepted Answer

Ramon's ideas about gun ownership and crime rates represent his beliefs, which are cognitive components of an attitude. This component involves a person's thoughts, beliefs, or ideas about an object or concept.

Question 5

You chose your major because of all the opportunities available in the health field, while your roommate chose a degree in finance because he tends to be "greedy and money-hungry." In attributing cause to your behavior of choosing a major and that of your roommate, you have exhibited

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the actor-observer bias, where people tend to attribute their own actions to situational factors (e.g., opportunities in the health field) while attributing others' actions to personal characteristics (e.g., being "greedy and money-hungry").

Question 6

You are having dinner at a restaurant and notice that the person at the next table does not leave a tip for the waitress. According to the actor-observer bias, you are likely to conclude the person

Accepted Answer

The actor-observer bias suggests that people attribute their own actions to external situations while attributing others' actions to their personal characteristics. Therefore, observing someone not leaving a tip, one might conclude they did so not because of the service or an external reason, but because they are inherently cheap.

Question 7

Which of the following summarizes our evaluation of objects and predicts and directs our future actions?

Accepted Answer

Attitudes summarize our evaluations of objects and predict and direct our future actions by influencing our preferences and behaviors towards those objects.

Question 8

You and your friend have a fight and say very hurtful "things" to each other. In judging your own behavior, you say to yourself, "I was justified in saying those things to her because she betrayed me." In judging how your friend acted during the fight, you say "She had no right to say those things to me. She is a liar and an ungrateful person." In your interpretation of your own behavior, you are the actor assigning a(n)__________ cause.

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, by justifying your actions based on your friend's betrayal, you are attributing your behavior to an external cause (the friend's actions), rather than something internal to you (such as your own emotions or personality).

Question 9

Other people are always late because they are irresponsible, while you are late because you were held up by events beyond your control. This statement illustrates

Accepted Answer

This statement illustrates the actor-observer bias, where people tend to attribute their own actions to external factors (e.g., being late due to events beyond their control) but attribute others' actions to internal factors (e.g., others are late because they are irresponsible).

Question 10

Dr. Elmo is studying individuals' learned dispositions to respond to people, objects, or institutions in a positive or negative way. Dr. Elmo is studying

Accepted Answer

Dr. Elmo is studying attitudes, which are learned dispositions to respond favorably or unfavorably to people, objects, or institutions.

Question 11

A mixture of belief and emotion that summarizes our evaluation of objects and predicts or directs our future actions is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

Attitudes are psychological constructs that represent an individual's degree of like or dislike for an item and are a mixture of belief and emotion. They summarize our evaluations of objects and can predict or direct our future actions.

Question 12

Gene and Harry are discussing the upcoming election. Gene tells Harry that he is convinced that one of the candidates will make a better senator because this candidate is proposing legislation that will streamline health care. This discussion best illustrates which component of an attitude?

Accepted Answer

Gene's conviction is based on his belief about the candidate's proposed policies, indicating the belief component of an attitude.

Question 13

The statement, "I am convinced that atomic wastes cannot be safely disposed of" made by an opponent of nuclear power, represents which component of an attitude?

Accepted Answer

This statement reflects a belief component of an attitude, as it expresses a conviction or opinion about the safety of disposing atomic wastes, rather than an emotion, a direct action, or a specific experience.

Question 14

Our tastes, friendships, votes, preferences, goals, and behavior in many other situations are all influenced by a learned tendency to respond to people and objects in a positive or negative way and is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

Attitudes are learned tendencies to evaluate people, objects, or issues in a certain way, which can be positive, negative, or neutral. This encompasses our tastes, friendships, votes, preferences, goals, and many other aspects of our behavior.

Question 15

The three main components of an attitude are

Accepted Answer

The three main components of an attitude are belief (cognitive component), emotion (affective component), and action (behavioral component). These components represent how we think, feel, and act towards an object, respectively.

Question 16

When people assume that the actions of actors in television programs are due to the personalities of the actors rather than the obvious external cause that they are playing a character, these television viewers are exhibiting

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is a cognitive bias where people tend to attribute others' actions to their character or personality, while underestimating external factors. In this scenario, viewers are attributing actors' on-screen behaviors to their personal characteristics, rather than recognizing the external cause: the actors are playing roles written for them.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the three components of an attitude?

Accepted Answer

Attitudes are generally considered to consist of three components: cognitive (beliefs), affective (emotions), and behavioral (actions). "Experience" is not traditionally identified as a component of attitudes.

Question 18

The actor-observer bias refers to the tendency to assign

Accepted Answer

The actor-observer bias is a psychological phenomenon where individuals attribute their own actions to external factors (situations or environments) but attribute others' actions to internal factors (personal traits or intentions).

Question 19

You tell yourself that you were late starting your psychology project because of the demands of your other courses and your job, but your roommate was late because he is a procrastinator. You are displaying

Accepted Answer

This is an example of actor-observer bias, where people tend to attribute their own actions to external situations (e.g., being busy with other courses and a job) while attributing others' actions to their personality or character (e.g., being a procrastinator).

Question 20

Regarding attitudes, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Attitudes are not solely the result of genetic predispositions; they are shaped by experiences, social interactions, and learning. Genetic factors may influence personality traits that can affect attitudes, but attitudes themselves are more directly formed through environmental factors and cognitive processes.

Quiz 16: Social Thinking and Social Influence