Question 1

What does a person demonstrate when she has a tendency to attribute her success to her skills and her failure to bad luck?

Accepted Answer

This person is demonstrating the self-serving bias, which involves attributing one's success to internal factors (such as skills or abilities) and one's failures to external factors (such as bad luck or difficult circumstances). This bias serves to protect one's self-esteem and maintain a positive self-image.

Question 2

If Mike and Fred both exhibit the same behaviours, what type of factor will Mike tend to attribute his own behaviour to?

Accepted Answer

People tend to attribute their own behavior to situational factors, especially when the behavior is negative, due to the actor-observer bias.

Question 3

What is demonstrated by an individual who has a tendency to blame victims for their misfortune, so that the individual feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way?

Accepted Answer

This is a defensive attribution, as the individual is attempting to protect themselves from feeling vulnerable to a similar misfortune by blaming the victim instead of acknowledging the role of chance or other factors in the situation.

Question 4

You see on the news that a local high school athlete just received a university scholarship to play basketball while none of his teammates received scholarships. If you believe he received a scholarship due to his outstanding natural ability, what kind of attribution are you making?

Accepted Answer

By attributing the scholarship to the athlete's natural ability, the observer is making an internal attribution, meaning they believe the athlete's success is due to his own personal characteristics or qualities. The attribution is also stable, as the athlete's ability is seen as a consistent and enduring trait.

Question 5

According to the self-serving bias, when do people tend to make external attributions?

Accepted Answer

According to the self-serving bias, people tend to make external attributions when they fail because it allows them to maintain a positive self-image by attributing their failure to factors outside of themselves.

Question 6

Stella and Andre have been a couple for several years. Their love is characterized by warm feelings and affection. They enjoy spending time together and describe themselves as lovers and friends. Which term best describes Stella and Andre's love?

Accepted Answer

Companionate love is characterized by warm feelings and affection, and a strong bond based on friendship and companionship. This type of love is often seen in long-term relationships where the initial passion may have faded but the couple still enjoys spending time together and cares deeply for each other.

Question 7

Nicole tends to attribute her friends' behaviour to their personalities, rather than to the situations that they are in. What type of error does Nicole tend to make?

Accepted Answer

Nicole tends to make the fundamental attribution error, which is the tendency to explain people's behaviour based on internal factors (personality, character), rather than on external situational factors.

Question 8

Kerry says that anyone who loses money on an internet scam must be an idiot. He knows that he would never be taken advantage of like that. Which of the following is best illustrated by Kerry's belief?

Accepted Answer

Defensive attribution is when people attribute a cause to an event to avoid feeling vulnerable to the same event. Kerry believes that only idiots fall for scams, which makes him feel secure that he won't be scammed.

Question 9

According to Bernard Weiner, when people make attributions for success and failure, which type of causes of behaviour do people tend to focus on?

Accepted Answer

According to Bernard Weiner, people tend to focus on stable-unstable causes of behavior when making attributions for success and failure. Stable causes are more enduring and predictable, while unstable causes are more temporary and unpredictable.

Question 10

Which of the following proposes that males and females of approximately equal physical attractiveness will select each other as partners?

Accepted Answer

The matching hypothesis proposes that individuals of approximately equal physical attractiveness will select each other as partners. This is based on the idea that people are motivated to form relationships with others who are similar to themselves. The similarity hypothesis suggests that people are attracted to others who are similar to them in attitudes, values, and interests. The reciprocity effect suggests that people are more likely to be attracted to someone who shows interest in them. The least-common-denominator effect suggests that people may settle for less desirable partners if they feel they cannot attract someone who is more desirable.

Question 11

As Serena enters a homeless shelter seeking help, she looks around at the other people who are staying there and thinks, "I don't want to be here. These people are lazy and dangerous." Even though Serena requires the assistance of the shelter, she doesn't see herself as being similar to the other people who are in the same situation. Which of the following is this consistent with?

Accepted Answer

The answer of As Serena enters a homeless shelter seeking...

Question 12

According to the fundamental attribution error, what explanation would you likely use when an acquaintance fails an exam?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error suggests that people tend to attribute others' behavior to their internal characteristics rather than external factors. In the case of someone failing an exam, the most likely explanation would be that the individual is not intelligent enough, which is an internal characteristic. Therefore, the best choice would be B, lack of intelligence.

Question 13

Which type of love involves a romantic relationship characterized by high levels of commitment and intimacy?

Accepted Answer

Companionate love is the type of love that is characterized by high levels of commitment and intimacy. It is a mature form of love that involves feelings of deep attachment, trust, and mutual respect between partners. Passionate love, on the other hand, is often characterized by intense emotions and physical attraction, but may not necessarily involve high levels of commitment or intimacy. Erotic love refers specifically to sexual attraction and desire, and may or may not be part of a romantic relationship. Therefore, the best choice is B, companionate love.

Question 14

Which of the following couples is likely to be most happy?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following couples is likely...

Question 15

If Mike and Fred both exhibit the same behaviours, what type of factor will Mike tend to attribute Fred's behaviour to?

Accepted Answer

If Mike and Fred both exhibit the same behaviours and Mike attributes Fred's behaviour to dispositional factors, he is likely making a fundamental attribution error. This means that he is overemphasizing the role of internal, dispositional factors in explaining Fred's behaviour, rather than considering situational factors that may be influencing it.

Question 16

Although physical attractiveness strongly influences interpersonal attraction, many individuals of average and below-average attractiveness are involved in long-term relationships. What hypothesis explains this apparent paradox?

Accepted Answer

The matching hypothesis suggests that people tend to form relationships with individuals who are similar in physical attractiveness. This means that individuals of average and below-average attractiveness may be involved in long-term relationships with partners who also have similar levels of physical attractiveness.

Question 17

Which type of love is characterized by a couple's complete absorption in one another and includes strong emotions and tender sexual feelings?

Accepted Answer

Passionate love is characterized by intense emotions and sexual attraction between two individuals. This type of love is often described as all-consuming, with individuals feeling completely absorbed in one another.

Question 18

In regards to interpersonal attraction, which saying is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The saying "Birds of a feather flock together" is most accurate when it comes to interpersonal attraction because people tend to be attracted to others who are similar to themselves in terms of personality, values, interests, and backgrounds. This is known as the similarity-attraction hypothesis, which suggests that people are more likely to form relationships with those who share similar characteristics.

Question 19

As a result of the fundamental attribution error, if you observe a construction worker relaxing under a tree, what would you be most likely to conclude about that worker?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error leads people to attribute others' behaviors to their character or disposition rather than considering situational factors. Thus, one might incorrectly conclude the worker is lazy.

Question 20

Which statement concerning cultural variations in attribution is false?

Accepted Answer

Actually, people from collectivist societies are less likely to make the fundamental attribution error, as they tend to prioritize situational factors and context when explaining behavior.

Quiz 16: B: Social Behaviour