Exam 5: Social Attribution: Explaining Behavior

At the last minute,Christine decided to try a new route to work.On her drive in,she hit a deep pothole,causing one of her car tires to go flat.Her decision to try a new route ________ the likelihood that she engaged in counterfactual thinking.

Hannah and Damian disagree on the cause of Damian's recent automobile accident.Describe how the actor-observer difference might explain the disagreement between the two.

Someone with an optimistic explanatory style is likely to make which types of attributions for success?

Several mountain climbers were trapped on Mount Everest during a blinding snowstorm.Many climbers died on the mountain.One climber made it all the way back to base camp.Unfortunately,however,he collapsed and died mere yards away from the safety of his tent.Because this climber came so close to saving himself,________ is particularly likely to occur in response to this climber's death.

Jamal watches how his new boyfriend reacts to a performer at a comedy club.Is he easily amused or is the comedian really that funny? If he compares his boyfriend's response to the comedian to other people in the audience,he is focusing on ________ information.

Many people think that victims of domestic abuse and rape are responsible for their fates.This disturbing tendency is most closely related to

What is the just world hypothesis? In addition,explain how this hypothesis is relevant to the fundamental attribution error.

Which piece of covariation information must always be high if one is to make a reliable internal or external attribution?

Lissett and Janet both responded to a newspaper ad for "friendly and outgoing" sales associates.While interviewing with the store manager,Lissett comes across as extraverted while Janet comes across as shy.After the interviews,the manager thinks about the two applicants.According to the ________ principle,the manager should feel more confident that ________ behavior is a clear reflection of her true self.

Describe an instance in which you have committed the self-serving bias.Clearly explain how it demonstrates this attributional phenomenon.

Defend the position that the self-serving attributional bias is NOT always based on the motivation to maintain self-esteem.

________ refers to a person's habitual way of explaining many different types of events.

Over the weekend,your new friend Mary complained about all of the pressure the teachers put on students to do well in school.On Monday,you're shocked to see Mary looking at her notes during the exam in math class.You think,"Is Mary dishonest or was that pressure just too strong?" It occurs to you that no one else seemed to be cheating during the exam despite the same teacher pressure.Moreover,didn't Luis mention that Mary cheated on her boyfriend last year? On Thursday you notice Mary looking at José's answers during English class.By Friday,you're pretty sure what to think.According to the covariation principle,in this situation distinctiveness is ________ and you should make an ________ attribution for Mary's behavior.

Kyle,a male student,and Megha,a female student,both failed their geography exams.According to research by Dweck and colleagues (1975,1985,2007),Kyle is likely to attribute his failure to his ________,whereas Megha is likely to attribute her failure to her ________.

Which of the following is FALSE regarding the findings from research on culture and social perception?

What is a counterfactual thought? Explain the circumstances under which it is most likely to occur.

Darby consistently attributes her failures to stable,global,and internal causes.Maria accounts for her failures by citing unstable,specific,and external causes.According to research on explanatory style,Darby is likely to ________ than Maria.

Recall that in one experiment,participants were assigned to one of two roles: questioner or responder.The questioner read a series of questions to the responder and told the responder how to answer each question.In fact,the questioner used a preprinted list to tell responders exactly how to answer each question.The results of this research showed that the

An American soldier is captured and tortured by enemy forces.The enemy then releases a videotape of the soldier proclaiming a deep hatred for America.According to the discounting principle,Americans who later view this videotape are likely to explain the soldier's proclamations in terms of ________ causes.

Gloria looks back on her marriage and thinks,"If only I had put more effort into the relationship,Lew and I would still be together." This self-reflection exemplifies