Question 1

In a short essay, describe the attribution theory and discuss the three factors that determine externally caused behaviour based on the attribution theory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a short essay, describe the attribution...

Question 2

When people judge someone on the basis of the perception of a group they are a part of, they are using the shortcut called ________.

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is the shortcut where people judge someone based on their perception of the group they belong to. This happens when individuals assume that all members of a group possess certain traits or characteristics and generalize them to every individual from that group. It is a simplified and overgeneralized view of a particular group of people, and it can lead to biases and discrimination.

Question 3

If a manager is hesitant to hire older people because 'they are slow,' he/she is exhibiting what kind of perception shortcut?

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is the perception shortcut where one assumes a particular characteristic or trait of a group of people without considering individual differences. In this case, the manager is assuming that all older people are slow, which is a stereotype.

Question 4

Which Is It?
Chris had been Linda's boss for about six months.Recently, Linda had been recommending the firing of Charles, one of her own staff, for his repeated 'inability to get along with others.' Chris checked with Charles's co-workers and none of them supported Linda's contention.In addition, several of Linda's peers had met with Chris.Word of Charles's fate was getting out and they wanted to let Chris know that in the past, Linda had singled out other employees for persecution.When asked for specific problems with Charles, Linda mentioned that in addition to his attitude he had been late several times recently.Chris knew that Charles lived several miles away and that others had been late due to poor weather.Chris did not know whether he should support Linda, his manager, or hold off and not fire Charles.
-Refer to Which Is It? (Scenario).What factor of attribution theory was Chris concerned about when he found out that others besides Charles had been late to work because of the weather?

Accepted Answer

Chris was concerned about the distinctiveness factor of attribution theory. He knew that Charles lived several miles away, and others had also been late due to poor weather. This suggests that the reason for Charles's lateness was not unique to him, but rather a situational factor affecting several people. Therefore, Chris was not sure whether Charles's lateness was a result of his own behavior or the situation he found himself in, which is the essence of the distinctiveness factor of attribution theory.

Question 5

If a person who is always late for work is late once again and blames it on a train, co-workers would probably attribute that person's lateness to ________.

Accepted Answer

This is due to the fundamental attribution error, where people tend to attribute others' actions to their character rather than to external circumstances. Since the person is consistently late, co-workers are likely to see the lateness as a trait of the individual rather than blaming it on an external factor like the train.

Question 6

If we are attempting to decide whether a particular behaviour of an individual is unusual or not, we are making a judgment on what factor of attribution theory?

Accepted Answer

Distinctiveness refers to whether the behavior is specific to a particular situation or occurs across multiple situations. If the behavior is unusual for that individual in that particular situation, it is considered distinctive and can be attributed to the individual.

Question 7

________ refers to whether an individual displays a behaviour in many situations or whether it's particular to one situation.

Accepted Answer

Distinctiveness is a factor in attribution theory that refers to whether an individual displays a behavior in many situations or whether it's particular to one situation. It helps to determine whether the behavior is caused by internal or external factors.

Question 8

Which Is It?
Chris had been Linda's boss for about six months.Recently, Linda had been recommending the firing of Charles, one of her own staff, for his repeated 'inability to get along with others.' Chris checked with Charles's co-workers and none of them supported Linda's contention.In addition, several of Linda's peers had met with Chris.Word of Charles's fate was getting out and they wanted to let Chris know that in the past, Linda had singled out other employees for persecution.When asked for specific problems with Charles, Linda mentioned that in addition to his attitude he had been late several times recently.Chris knew that Charles lived several miles away and that others had been late due to poor weather.Chris did not know whether he should support Linda, his manager, or hold off and not fire Charles.
-Refer to Which Is It? (Scenario).What factor of attribution theory was Chris concerned about when Linda's peers mentioned about her past history with subordinates?

Accepted Answer

The factor of attribution theory that Chris is concerned about is consistency. Linda has a history of singling out employees for persecution, and this consistency in her behavior raises doubts about her claims about Charles's behavior. Chris is unsure whether Linda is being consistent in her assessment of Charles or if there are other factors at play.

Question 9

If individuals perceive appraisals to be biased or wage levels to be low, they will ________.

Accepted Answer

When individuals perceive appraisals to be biased or wage levels to be low, they are likely to react based on their perceptions, behaving as if those conditions are indeed true, which can influence their motivation and performance.

Question 10

A recruiter who assumes that a candidate with high distinctions in university results also has other great job match qualities (without checking)has engaged in what type of perception shortcut?

Accepted Answer

The recruiter has engaged in the halo effect by assuming that the candidate's high distinctions in university results indicate that they possess other great job match qualities without checking or gathering additional information. This perception shortcut is often based on the assumption that if a person is good in one aspect, they must also be good in other areas.

Question 11

Social learning theory says that people can only learn from their own experience.

Accepted Answer

Social learning theory actually states that people can learn from observing the behaviors and experiences of others, not just their own experiences.

Question 12

We tend to attribute our own successes to ________, while putting the blame for our failures on ________.

Accepted Answer

This is known as the self-serving bias, where individuals tend to attribute positive outcomes to their own abilities or efforts, while negative outcomes are blamed on external factors like luck or the environment. Choice D reflects this bias with "ability" being associated with success and "luck" being associated with failure.

Question 13

In a short essay, describe attribution theory, and the main factors which determine an attribution.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a short essay, describe attribution theory,...

Question 14

________ refers to whether a person responds the same way over time.

Accepted Answer

Consistency refers to the extent to which a person's responses to a given situation or stimulus are the same over time. This is an important dimension of attribution theory, which seeks to explain how people make inferences about the causes of others' behavior. If someone consistently reacts in a particular way to a particular situation, we may attribute this to their personality or disposition rather than to situational factors.

Question 15

Operant conditioning argues that behaviour is a function of its consequences.

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning theory suggests that behavior is influenced by the consequences or outcomes that follow it. The theory states that when a behavior is followed by a favorable outcome, it is more likely to be repeated in the future, whereas when a behavior is followed by an unfavorable outcome, it is less likely to be repeated. Therefore, the consequences of a behavior determine its likelihood of recurrence.

Question 16

When people form a general impression about a person on the basis of a single characteristic, such as intelligence, sociability or appearance, they are being influenced by ________.

Accepted Answer

The halo effect occurs when one characteristic of a person, such as their physical appearance or intelligence, influences our overall impression of them. This can lead us to make assumptions about other aspects of their personality, even if we don't have direct evidence to support these assumptions. The halo effect is a common cognitive bias that can influence our perceptions of others in both positive and negative ways.

Question 17

In a short essay, define perception.Next, list and discuss the factors that shape and sometimes distort perception.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a short essay, define perception.Next, list...

Question 18

The fact that individuals, when observing others, tend to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors is called ________.

Accepted Answer

The given statement describes the fundamental attribution error, which is the tendency to attribute other people's behavior to internal factors such as personality traits or disposition, rather than considering external factors such as situational factors.

Question 19

Which Is It?
Chris had been Linda's boss for about six months.Recently, Linda had been recommending the firing of Charles, one of her own staff, for his repeated 'inability to get along with others.' Chris checked with Charles's co-workers and none of them supported Linda's contention.In addition, several of Linda's peers had met with Chris.Word of Charles's fate was getting out and they wanted to let Chris know that in the past, Linda had singled out other employees for persecution.When asked for specific problems with Charles, Linda mentioned that in addition to his attitude he had been late several times recently.Chris knew that Charles lived several miles away and that others had been late due to poor weather.Chris did not know whether he should support Linda, his manager, or hold off and not fire Charles.
-Refer to Which Is It? (Scenario).Which factor of attribution theory was Chris concerned about when he asked Charles's co-workers about Linda's observations about his attitude problem?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which Is It?
Chris had been Linda's boss...

Question 20

In ________, the observer's perception of others is influenced more by the observer's own characteristics than by those of the person observed.

Accepted Answer

Assumed similarity refers to the bias where an observer's perception of others is influenced more by the observer's own characteristics than by those of the person observed. This means the observer assumes that others are similar to themselves in various ways.

Quiz 15: Understanding and Managing Individual Behaviour