Question 1

With reference to the attribution theory, which of the following terms indicates the extent to which an individual displays different behaviors in different situations?

Accepted Answer

Distinctiveness refers to the degree to which an individual behaves differently across various situations, according to attribution theory. It helps in determining whether the cause of behavior is situational or dispositional.

Question 2

Attribution theory uses three factors to determine if a person's behavior is caused internally or externally. One of these three factors is consensus. It indicates if ________.

Accepted Answer

Consensus refers to whether others facing the same situation would respond in the same way. If the behavior is consistent across a group of people facing similar circumstances, then the cause may be external rather than internal.

Question 3

Two people see the same thing at the same time yet interpret it differently. In this situation, factors that operate to shape their dissimilar perceptions reside in the ________.

Accepted Answer

The factors that shape dissimilar perceptions when two people see the same thing at the same time reside in the perceivers. This includes their individual backgrounds, experiences, attitudes, and expectations which can influence how they interpret and perceive the same stimuli or situation differently.

Question 4

Attribution theory suggests that when we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused. That determination, however, depends largely on three factors. Which of the following is one of these three factors?

Accepted Answer

The three factors that determine whether behavior is internally or externally caused are consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus.

Question 5

When individuals observe another person's behavior, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. Which of the following attempts to explain this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

Attribution theory attempts to explain how individuals interpret and make inferences about the causes of others' behavior, including whether it is internally or externally caused.

Question 6

According to the attribution theory, if a behavior scores ________, we tend to attribute it to external causes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the attribution theory, if a...

Question 7

Loud people are more likely to be noticed in a group than quiet ones. So, too, are extremely attractive or unattractive individuals. Which of the following statements best explains the reason behind this fact?

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the contrast effect. The relationship between the target (loud or attractive/unattractive person) and its background (the rest of the group) influences our perception of the target. Our brain is comparing the individual to the group and making a contrast. Therefore, the target stands out more and is more likely to be noticed.

Question 8

Your boss never gives you the benefit of doubt. When you arrived late from lunch, he assumed that you had simply taken too much time. He never considered that the elevators were not working that day and the fact that you had to walk up 10 flights of stairs. Your boss is guilty of ________.

Accepted Answer

The boss is committing the fundamental attribution error by attributing your lateness to your personal attributes (being lazy or not caring) rather than considering situational factors (elevator not working, having to climb stairs).

Question 9

Randy always turns in reports with punctuation errors. The reports of the three other employees on the QA report writing team always produce grammatically clean reports. Randy is about to turn in another report, and his manager has already noticed errors. Randy demonstrates ________. His sloppy reports can be attributed to a ________ cause.

Accepted Answer

Randy's behavior shows low distinctiveness (he makes errors in all reports), low consensus (other employees do not make errors), and high consistency (he consistently makes errors). This pattern suggests an internal cause for his sloppy reports.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of externally caused behavior?

Accepted Answer

Behavior that is caused by external factors, such as a flat tire, is an example of externally caused behavior. The other choices involve personal choices or actions that are within the individual's control, making them examples of internal behavior.

Question 11

________ indicates the tendency of an individual to attribute his own successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors.

Accepted Answer

This is describing the self-serving bias, which is the tendency for people to take credit for their successes but blame external factors for their failures. The fundamental attribution error is a related concept, but it refers to the tendency to overemphasize internal factors and underestimate external factors when explaining other people's behavior. Distinction bias refers to the tendency to view people as more different from each other than they really are. Selective perception refers to the tendency to only perceive and remember information that supports our preexisting beliefs. Stereotyping refers to the tendency to make assumptions about people based on their membership in a particular group.

Question 12

________ theory tries to explain the ways in which we judge people differently, depending on the meaning we attribute to a given behavior.

Accepted Answer

The theory being described is the attribution theory, which focuses on how we make judgments about others based on the meaning we attach to their behavior. The other answer choices (ERG, hierarchy of needs, acquired needs, two-factor) are all related to motivation and do not directly address the concept of attribution.

Question 13

If a person responds the same way over time, the attribution theory states that the behavior shows ________.

Accepted Answer

Consistency is the attribute of a behavior showing that an individual displays the same response (behavior) repeatedly over time, regardless of the independent variable or contextual changes.

Question 14

Whenever Jane is successful she takes full credit for her success, but whenever she is unsuccessful she attributes her failure to bad luck or blames one of her fellow employees. She is guilty of the ________.

Accepted Answer

Jane is exhibiting a self-serving bias, which refers to a tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors (such as personal skill or effort) but attribute their failures to external factors (such as luck or other people).

Question 15

Janice is late for work each day by about ten minutes. How would the attribution theory describe this behavior?

Accepted Answer

The attribution theory would describe this behavior as showing consistency, meaning that Janice is consistently late each day.

Question 16

David is of the opinion that people who drive SUVs are dangerous drivers. He often thinks that people driving SUVs are driving rashly, even when other observers can see nothing wrong with the behavior of the SUV drivers. What factor is affecting his perception in this case?

Accepted Answer

David's perception is being affected by his expectations or beliefs about SUV drivers. He has a preconceived notion that people who drive SUVs are dangerous, so even when there is no evidence to support this, he still perceives them that way.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true regarding perception?

Accepted Answer

Our perception of reality can be different from the objective reality. This means that our perception is influenced by factors such as our beliefs, past experiences, culture, and context of the situation. Therefore, two people can have different perceptions of the same reality. The other statements are not true as perception is affected by personality, context, past experiences, and the target's surroundings. We also do not form perceptions in isolation as we consider surrounding factors.

Question 18

Which of the following terms best describes the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others?

Accepted Answer

The tendency described is known as the fundamental attribution error, which involves placing too much emphasis on personal characteristics (internal factors) and not enough emphasis on situational factors (external factors) when explaining someone's behavior.

Question 19

________ is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

Accepted Answer

Perception refers to the process of interpreting and organizing sensory information to give meaning to our environment. It is how individuals make sense of the world around them and influences their behavior and decision-making. Options A, B, C, and D are all unrelated to the concept of perception.

Question 20

According to the attribution theory, if a behavior scores ________, we tend to attribute it to internal causes.

Accepted Answer

According to the attribution theory, if a behavior scores low on distinctiveness, we tend to attribute it to internal causes. This means that the behavior is not unique to the situation or context and is more likely due to the person's internal disposition or personality.

Quiz 5: Perception and Individual Decision Making