A person reads in the paper that a Black youth has been shot by a White police officer. If no other information is available, attribution theory suggests that, in general,
A) a White person will view the shooting as an unnecessary act of violence.
B) both Black and White people will assume that youth gang activity was a problem.
C) a Black person will likely believe the shooting was unnecessary, while a White person will assume the officer acted appropriately.
D) neither a Black nor a White person will make any assumptions about the situation until they have learned more information.

Question

A person reads in the paper that a Black youth has been shot by a White police officer. If no other information is available, attribution theory suggests that, in general, 
A) a White person will view the shooting as an unnecessary act of violence.
B) both Black and White people will assume that youth gang activity was a problem.
C) a Black person will likely believe the shooting was unnecessary, while a White person will assume the officer acted appropriately.
D) neither a Black nor a White person will make any assumptions about the situation until they have learned more information.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Attribution theory suggests that people will often attribute the behavior of others to internal or external factors. In this scenario, a Black youth being shot by a White police officer, an individual's reaction may be influenced by their own identity and experiences. Research has shown that Black individuals are more likely to view police shootings of Black individuals as unjustified, while White individuals are more likely to view them as justified. Therefore, option C is the best choice as it reflects this pattern of attribution.

A Person Reads in the Paper That a Black Youth