Question 1

All of the following were mentioned by Harold Kelley as factors that determine the attributions we make,EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Harold Kelley's attribution theory focuses on three main factors that influence how we make attributions: consistency (how consistently the individual behaves in this manner), distinctiveness (if the behavior is unique to a particular situation), and consensus (if everyone behaves similarly in the same situation). Context is not one of the factors mentioned by Kelley in his theory.

Question 2

When explaining our own behaviour,if we make more personal attributions for successes and more situational attributions for failures,___________ occurs.

Accepted Answer

This is the pattern of the self-serving bias, where we attribute our successes to personal factors (such as our abilities or effort) and our failures to situational factors (such as bad luck or external obstacles). This bias serves to protect our self-esteem and maintain a positive self-image.

Question 3

The fundamental attribution error refers to how people tend to __________ the importance of personal factors and ___________ the importance of situational factors when explaining other people's behaviour.

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is a cognitive bias where people tend to overestimate the importance of personal (internal) factors and underestimate the importance of situational (external) factors when explaining other people's behavior. Therefore, people tend to attribute behavior to an individual's personality traits or characteristics rather than considering the context and external factors that may have influenced the behavior.

Question 4

According to your text,one reason for the relative absence of the fundamental attribution error in collectivistic cultures might be:

Accepted Answer

Collectivistic cultures tend to value the collective over the individual, and therefore promote more holistic thinking patterns. This type of thinking emphasizes the interdependence of people and events, which can lead to a more nuanced view of behavior and a decreased likelihood of making fundamental attribution errors.

Question 5

People with depression are more likely to display which of the following attribution patterns?

Accepted Answer

People with depression often display an attribution pattern opposite to the self-serving bias, attributing negative events to internal, stable, and global causes, and positive events to external, unstable, and specific causes.

Question 6

You are in the process of buying a new car and are discussing your future purchase with your friend Chris.With regard to a Ford car that you are considering,Chris tells you that he dislikes it very much;but of the other friends you have talked to,he is the only person who feels this way about the car.Chris has also told you that he also dislikes every other car you are considering.Assuming that Chris continues to feel this way about the Ford,you would most likely make a:

Accepted Answer

Chris is the only person who dislikes the car, so it is more likely that the problem is with Chris rather than the car.

Question 7

Your new roommate leaves dirty laundry all over her room and you assume that she must be a slob.You ignore the fact that she is currently taking the finals and working 40 hours per week.You would be making the:

Accepted Answer

The given scenario is an example of the fundamental attribution error, which refers to our tendency to overemphasize dispositional (internal) factors rather than situational (external) factors when explaining someone's behavior. In this case, assuming that the roommate is a slob just because of the dirty laundry is an example of overemphasizing her personality traits rather than considering the possible situational factors that may be contributing to her behavior.

Question 8

You are watching golf and see Tiger Woods scowl.You would be making the fundamental attribution error if you assumed that he:

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error involves attributing someone's behavior to their personality or disposition (volatile personality) rather than considering situational factors (like missing a putt or external distractions).

Question 9

A generalized belief about a group or a category of people is best known as a ________________.

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a generalized belief about a group or a category of people. A social norm refers to the unwritten rules or expectations of behavior within a society. A mental set is a tendency to approach situations in a certain way based on previous experiences. A schema is a cognitive framework that helps organize and interpret information.

Question 10

Within the context of a person trying to explain why she did well on a psychology exam,a personal attribution is to a situational attribution as:

Accepted Answer

Personal attribution (like attributing success to one's own intelligence) is about internal factors, while situational attribution (like attributing success to the ease of the test) is about external factors.

Question 11

The self-serving bias is to _______________ as the fundamental attribution error is to ______________.

Accepted Answer

The self-serving bias refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (such as their own abilities or efforts) while attributing their failures to external factors (such as bad luck or outside circumstances). This bias is focused on one's own behavior. On the other hand, the fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency for individuals to overemphasize dispositional (internal) explanations for others' behavior, rather than considering situational (external) factors. This bias is focused on others' behavior. Therefore, choice B (one's own behavior; others' behavior) is the best fit.

Question 12

What are the two main types of attributions people make for behaviours?

Accepted Answer

The two main types of attributions people make for behaviors are personal attributions (attributing behavior to internal, stable traits or characteristics of the individual) and situational attributions (attributing behavior to external, situational factors). Examples of personal attributions include "They are just a lazy person" whereas examples of situational attributions include "They didn't complete the task because they were given insufficient time to do so."

Question 13

People make judgements about the causes of their own and other people's behaviours.For these judgements,psychologists specifically use the term ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists use the term "attributions" to refer to the judgements people make about the causes of their own and others' behavior. Attributions can be either internal (based on personal characteristics) or external (based on situational factors).

Question 14

The tendency to be more alert to the information that is received first and the tendency of using this initial information to shape how subsequent information is to be perceived are both most relevant while explaining:

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect refers to the phenomenon where people tend to remember the initial information they receive better than information received later. Additionally, this initial information can shape how subsequent information is perceived.

Question 15

When forming impressions of people,how people tend to attach more importance to initial information that is learned about a person refers to the ___________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect is the tendency for people to remember and give more importance to information that was presented first. In the context of forming impressions of people, this means that people tend to attach more importance to initial information that is learned about a person.

Question 16

People tend to underestimate the impact of situational factors and overestimate the impact of personal factors when explaining other people's behaviours,according to the ___________________.

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency of people to attribute others' behaviors to internal, personal factors (such as character traits or dispositional factors) rather than external, situational factors (such as the influence of the environment or circumstances). This bias can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments of others, as well as a failure to appreciate the role that context and situation play in shaping behavior.

Question 17

You believe that your roommate didn't clean the kitchen last night because he was exhausted after an unusually busy day at work.You would be making a(n)____________ attribution.

Accepted Answer

The belief that the roommate didn't clean the kitchen due to being exhausted after a busy day at work suggests a situational attribution, meaning that the behavior was a result of external factors (the situation) rather than personal characteristics of the roommate.

Question 18

Many studies suggest that the tendency to attribute other people's behaviour to personal factors may reflect Western society's emphasis on individualism.This finding is most useful when attempting to explain why the _________________ is less common in _______________ cultures.

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute other people's behavior solely to personal factors and underestimate situational factors. Studies suggest that this tendency is more prevalent in individualistic cultures, where there is a greater emphasis on personal achievement, autonomy, and independence. In contrast, collectivistic cultures emphasize the interdependence of individuals with each other and their social groups, which may lead to a lesser likelihood of making the fundamental attribution error. Therefore, option A is the correct choice.

Question 19

Your mother is confident that the reason you do well in school is because you are smart.She is making a(n)________________ attribution for your performance.

Accepted Answer

The mother is attributing the child's success in school to a personal characteristic, intelligence or being smart. Personal attribution relates to individual characteristics such as abilities, traits, and motivation.

Question 20

Which of the following occurs when people's incorrect expectations are confirmed when they relate to other people in a way that brings about the very behaviours they expect,thereby confirming their original beliefs?

Accepted Answer

This is describing the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy, where people's expectations lead them to act in a way that brings about the expected behavior in others, thus confirming the original belief.

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context