When Darren's classmate earns a "D" on an essay for her history class, Darren figures the classmate is unmotivated, and should have spent more time working on the paper and less time socializing. The classmate is disappointed with her grade, but she knows she didn't have much time to work on the essay because she had to work double shifts the entire week before the paper was due. What does this example illustrate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This example illustrates the actor-observer bias, where Darren attributes his classmate's poor performance to her personal traits (unmotivated) while the classmate attributes it to situational factors (having to work double shifts).

When Darren's Classmate Earns a "D" on an Essay for Her