Ted discovered that the white dust on his donuts was not powdered sugar but mold. When he returned the donuts to the supermarket he purchased them from, the manager there gave him two new boxes of donuts for free and explained that the problem was temporary and that the products came from the supplier and, therefore, was not under the supermarket's control. This scenario exemplifies:
A) schematic theory.
B) cause-and-effect modeling.
C) functionalist theory.
D) sociological modeling.
E) attribution theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies attribution theory because Ted has made an attribution about the cause of the mold on his donuts (i.e. it came from the supplier) and the manager at the supermarket has made a separate attribution about the problem being temporary and outside of their control. Additionally, the actions of both Ted and the manager are influenced by their attributions (i.e. Ted returning the donuts and the manager giving him free replacements).

Ted Discovered That the White Dust on His Donuts Was