Deck 5: Social Attribution: Explaining Behavior

Question 1

Jamal watches how his friends react to a performer at a comedy club.If he is particularly concerned with whether few or many of them laugh, he is focusing on ____________ information.

A) consistency
B) distinctiveness
C) consensus
D) shared

Answer 1

consensus

Question 2

Ashley 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

A) counterfactual thinking.
B) the actor-observer effect.
C) emotional intensification.
D) the self-serving bias.

Answer 2

counterfactual thinking.

Question 3

Michelle notices her brother Mark eating a second piece of chocolate from a box of candy.Because he rarely eats candy of any kind, Michelle concludes that Mark must really like the chocolate.In this instance, Michelle is relying on ____________ information to explain her brother's behavior.

A) distinctiveness
B) consistency
C) consensus
D) individuating

Answer 3

distinctiveness

Question 4

Kyle, a male student, and Gail, a female student, both failed their geography exam.According to research by Dweck and colleagues, Kyle is likely to attribute his failure to his ____________, whereas Gail is likely to attribute her failure to her ____________.

A) parents; teachers.
B) teachers; parents.
C) lack of ability; lack of effort.
D) lack of effort; lack of ability.

Question 5

Hector plays golf every Saturday.His wife Alicia notices that after a winning round, Hector tends to play with the kids.After a losing round, he tends to watch television by himself.According to ____________, over time, Alicia is likely to conclude that Hector's golf games can exert a causal effect on his behavior at home.

A) emotional amplification theory
B) the covariation principle
C) the augmentation principle
D) fundamental attribution theory

Question 6

Rhonda tells you that she hates her new apartment.According to the covariation principle, what type(s)of questions would you ask to explain why she feels this way?

A) Do her roommates also hate the apartment?
B) Did Rhonda like her previous apartment?
C) Would Rhonda prefer to own her own home rather than rent?
D) All of the above are applicable.

Question 7

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

A) earn higher grades than Briana.
B) earn lower grades than Briana.
C) persevere longer on difficult tasks than Briana.
D) give up sooner on difficult tasks than Briana.

Question 8

Which of the following questions reflects what attribution theories seek to explain?

A) How often does Tina engage in binge drinking?
B) Why did Julie break up with Tom?
C) What did Bob say in response to Jim's insult?
D) Where is Justin most likely to find a date for the dance?

Question 9

Jim meets Tina for coffee and asks, "Would you be my date for the Sigma Chi formal dance?" She smiles and says, "That's so nice of you, but I've already got plans." Jim then thinks to himself, "I'll never find a date for this formal." Given this information, you can conclude that Jim's response reflects a(n)____________ explanatory style.

A) stable
B) global
C) external
D) transient

Question 10

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

A) Causative thinking
B) Dispositional attribution
C) The correspondence bias
D) Explanatory style

Question 11

Christine decided, at the last minute, 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.According to research on counterfactual reasoning, her decision to try a new route ____________ the likelihood that she engaged in counterfactual reasoning.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) had no effect on
D) eliminated

Question 12

Recall that Peterson and his colleagues examined whether young adults' explanatory style could predict physical health later in life.Results of their study showed that explanatory style during young adulthood

A) predicted health at age 30.
B) predicted health later in life.
C) predicted health at age 40.
D) did not predict health at any age.

Question 13

____________ theory deals with how people assign causes to the events around them and the effects that these explanations have.

A) Explanatory
B) Attribution
C) Covariation
D) Situational

Question 14

Psychologists who want to measure a person's explanatory style assess each of the following attribution dimensions EXCEPT

A) rational/affective.
B) internal/external.
C) stability/instability.
D) global/specific.

Question 15

Recall that Dweck and her colleagues aimed to understand why boys and girls tend to explain their failures differently.To this end, they conducted an experiment that manipulated ____________.Results showed that ____________.

A) the type of feedback that students received in class; comments teachers typically give to girls led to internal attributions for failure.
B) the type of feedback that students received in class; comments teachers typically give to boys led to internal attributions for failure.
C) success and failure on various assignments; after a success, girls felt happier than boys.
D) success and failure on various assignments; after a failure, girls felt sadder then boys.

Question 16

Recall that Wells and Ganvaski (1989)asked study participants to read a story about a woman who went to lunch with her boss to celebrate a promotion.According to the story, the boss ordered for the woman a dish that contained wine.Unfortunately, the woman was so allergic to wine that she died.The researchers were interested in how participants would respond to additional information about the boss's behavior.Results of this study showed that participants who thought the

A) boss's behavior was situationally caused were more likely to blame him for the woman's death.
B) boss's behavior was dispositionally caused were more upset by the woman's death.
C) boss almost ordered a different dish that contained wine viewed him more negatively.
D) boss almost ordered a different dish that did not contain wine viewed his choice of meals as more causally significant.

Question 17

According to ____________, our confidence that a particular cause is responsible for a given outcome is reduced if there are other plausible causes that might have produced it.

A) plausibility theory
B) the principle of refutation
C) the discounting principle
D) the augmentation principle

Question 18

Flora will most likely attribute Jeremy's quiet, shy behavior to his introverted personality when____________.

A) consistency is high, and consensus and distinctiveness are low.
B) consensus and consistency are high, but distinctiveness is low.
C) consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency are all low.
D) consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency are all high.

Question 19

____________ theory focuses on the ways in which we answer such questions as "Why does my roommate always play his music loudly?"

A) Explanatory
B) Covariation
C) Attribution
D) Situational

Question 20

Sean has tried repeatedly to find a job.After each unsuccessful attempt, he concludes that there is just something about him that will always get in the way of success in his life.Sean is displaying a ____________ explanatory style.

A) self-defensive
B) maladaptive
C) pessimistic
D) self-derogating

Question 21

According to the augmentation principle, which action is most likely to be attributed to the personality of the actor?

A) clapping after a musical performance
B) asking a server to return improperly cooked food to the kitchen
C) wearing a tropical shirt and shorts to a wedding
D) all of the above

Question 22

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.The responder was told how to answer each question.In fact, the questioner him- or herself used a preprinted list to tell responders how to answer each question! The results of this research showed that the

A) questioners made judgments that support the false consensus effect.
B) respondents relied on the discounting principle.
C) questioners still drew inferences about the responders.
D) respondents formed negative impressions of the questioners.

Question 23

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.

A) internal
B) external
C) dispositional
D) global

Question 24

The Westlake Hills Little League team just lost a game.According to research on attribution biases, right after the game, the Westlake Hills coach is likely to say,

A) "We just don't seem to have what it takes to be a winning team."
B) "Some of the team just didn't seem motivated to win."
C) "Our opponents played better than ever today."
D) "This better not be the start of a losing streak."

Question 25

Several mountain climbers were trapped on Mount Everest during a blinding snowstorm.Many climbers died on the mountain.However, one climber made it all the way back to base camp.Unfortunately, though, 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.

A) the fundamental attribution error
B) the correspondence bias
C) emotional amplification
D) counterfactual reasoning

Question 26

The actor-observer difference is the tendency for actors to make ____________ attributions, whereas observers make ____________ attributions.

A) deductive; inductive
B) distinctive; common
C) global; specific
D) situational; dispositional

Question 27

According to Dan Gilbert and his research on the attributional process, the first stage entails making ____________ that are ____________.The adjustment stage entails making ____________ that are ____________.

A) defensive attributions; self-enhancing; realistic attributions; deliberate.
B) dispositional inferences; automatic; situational inferences; deliberate.
C) temporary inferences; subconscious; stable inferences; conscious.
D) situational attributions; deliberate; dispositional inferences; automatic.

Question 28

Recall that Dan Gilbert studied why people tend to attribute others' behaviors to dispositional factors.According to his theoretical framework, this pattern of attribution occurs because people tend to

A) consider a person's behavior and his or her situation simultaneously.
B) be emotionally invested in explaining others' behaviors in terms of stable personal characteristics.
C) make initial dispositional inferences without later adjusting them on the basis of situational information.
D) have difficulty identifying what other people's behaviors signify.

Question 29

According to social psychological research on covariation information, which condition should prompt the highest expectations about the TechnoCool dance club? When

A) hardly anyone raves about TechnoCool, your friend raves about all clubs, and your friend has raved about TechnoCool on many different occasions.
B) everyone raves about TechnoCool, your friend rarely raves about any clubs, and your friend has raved about TechnoCool on many different occasions.
C) your friend raves about all dance clubs, TechnoCool exceeds your friend's expectations, and positive experiences tend to occur at TechnoCool.
D) your friend dislikes all dance clubs, TechnoCool exceeds your friend's expectations, and negative experiences tend to occur at that dance club.

Question 30

According to the textbook, which of the following statements about attribution is/are accurate?

A) The more someone's reaction is confined to a particular situation, the less this reaction says about that individual and the more it says about the specific situation.
B) All other things being equal, the more an individual's reaction is shared by others, the less it says about the individual and the more it says about the situation.
C) The more an individual's reaction is specific to one occasion, the harder it is to make a definite attribution to either the person or the situation.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 31

According to the textbook, the self-serving bias can reflect

A) the motivation to feel good about oneself.
B) rational thought processes.
C) sound attributional reasoning.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 32

The ____________ holds that people have a tendency to believe that another person's behavior is due to his or her disposition rather than the situation in which that person finds him- or herself.

A) fundamental attribution error
B) self-serving bias
C) covariation principle
D) observer fallacy

Question 33

According to the textbook, an experimental paradigm that reliably demonstrates the self-serving attributional bias involves having all participants

A) succeed at a single task and then measuring their attributions.
B) fail at a single task and then measuring their attributions.
C) fail at a task, manipulating whether they succeed or fail when given another opportunity to perform the task, and then measuring their attributions.
D) succeed at a first task, fail when given another opportunity to perform the task, and then measuring their attributions.

Question 34

Sarah and William got into an argument.The next day, Sarah reflects on why they behaved the way they did.According to the actor-observer difference, Sarah should think,

A) "I wonder what I did to make William so angry."
B) "I happened to have a bad day, but William is just plain nasty."
C) "William must have had a bad day, but I'm just plain nasty."
D) "I wonder what William did to make me so angry?"

Question 35

Brian thinks that Roscoe is a terrible person.So when Brian finds out that Roscoe's business failed and that Roscoe's wife left him, Brian's reaction is consistent with the just world hypothesis.He therefore thinks to himself,

A) "Roscoe got what he deserved!"
B) "Even Roscoe didn't deserve that!"
C) "Roscoe sure had bad luck!"
D) "If it happened to Roscoe, it could happen to anyone!"

Question 36

People often mistakenly believe that actors are similar to the characters they play on television programs or in films.This tendency is best explained by

A) the discounting principle.
B) the augmentation principle.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) the self-serving bias.

Question 37

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

A) augmentation principle; Janet's
B) augmentation principle; Laura's
C) covariation principle; Laura's
D) covariation principle; Janet's

Question 38

Maria, Susan, and Bobby ran for class president.When the votes were tallied, Maria received 38 votes, Susan received 37 votes, and Bobby garnered 35 votes.According to Medvec and colleagues' study of Olympic athletes' emotional reactions, one would expect ____________ to be the LEAST happy with the election outcome.

A) Maria
B) Susan
C) Bobby
D) none of the above (all three would be equally happy)

Question 39

The just world hypothesis refers to

A) the belief that positive events are more likely than negative events.
B) the belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get.
C) a tendency to blame our own failures on external events.
D) a tendency to expect the best of people we care about.

Question 40

In class, Linda had to give a "pro-life" speech on abortion.Before her speech, the teacher told everyone that Linda had been assigned to take this position, regardless of her true beliefs about abortion.Research on the fundamental attribution error suggests that, after class, the other students will

A) not form a judgment without asking Linda about her true attitude.
B) be evenly divided on whether Linda is pro-life or pro-choice.
C) be biased to think that Linda is truly pro-choice.
D) be biased to think that Linda is truly pro-life.

Question 41

Julia's behavior is typical of the actor-observer difference when she thinks that she did poorly on her exam because the questions were too hard, but that her friend did poorly because he is just not that smart.

Question 42

The covariation principle characterizes attribution as a quick and simple process that focuses primarily on single instances of behavior.

Question 43

According to the textbook, which of the following statements is INACCURATE?

A) Westerners are more inclined than Asians to see people as behaving in ways that have dispositional causes.
B) Asians tend to think like both personality and social psychologists, whereas Westerners tend to think like personality psychologists.
C) Asians do not commit the fundamental attribution error.
D) Differences in causal perception between Westerners and Asians are likely due to differences in cultural outlook between the two groups.

Question 44

Actors' and observers' attributions often differ because

A) they have different assumptions about what needs explaining.
B) different types of information are perceptually salient to them.
C) they differ in the amount and kind of information they have about the actor and the actor's behavior.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 45

The just world hypothesis is relevant to the fundamental attribution error because this hypothesis helps explain why we tend to

A) attribute others' behaviors to dispositional causes.
B) attribute others' behaviors to temporary circumstances.
C) underestimate the effects of traits on behavior.
D) manifest the false consensus effect.

Question 46

Consensus information refers to whether a specific person generally acts the same way in similar situations.

Question 47

Lisa and Sally ask a job applicant to talk about her background for a few minutes.Before doing so, the applicant says she has bad allergies, so she might sniffle and speak with a shaky voice.The applicant then talks about herself, and she does, in fact, sniffle and speak with a shaky voice.While the applicant talks, Lisa is attentive.But Sally is tired and her mind wanders a bit.Attribution research suggests that, compared with Lisa, Sally is more likely to

A) infer that the applicant is anxious or upset.
B) be impressed by the applicant.
C) notice subtle things about the applicant.
D) deduce that the applicant is serious about the job.

Question 48

The view that personality is malleable and that abilities can be changed by environmental factors is most characteristic of

A) people who live in the United States.
B) all people, regardless of culture.
C) people from interdependent cultures.
D) people from independent cultures.

Question 49

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

A) the false consensus effect.
B) a pessimistic explanatory style.
C) the just world hypothesis.
D) the augmentation principle.

Question 50

Research suggests that Easterners are more likely to make the fundamental attribution error than Westerners.

Question 51

Monica has just been laid off from her job.Her coworker Vicki quickly concluded that this must have happened because Monica was an inferior employee.Vicki's explanation reflects the just world hypothesis.

Question 52

When we have a self-serving bias, we attribute failure and other bad events that happen to us to ____________, but we attribute success and other good events to ____________.

A) distinctive factors; global factors.
B) permanent circumstances; temporary circumstances.
C) controllable circumstances; uncontrollable circumstances.
D) external circumstances; ourselves.

Question 53

Studies have shown that students with a pessimistic explanatory style tend to get better grades, because they try harder to avoid failure.

Question 54

Explanatory style is assessed along the three dimensions of internal/external, global/specific, and stable/unstable.

Question 55

Which of the following statements best represents something that a Japanese coach might say to a newspaper reporter after winning a game?

A) "It seems as if the other team was tired and unprepared for this game."
B) "Our players really made the difference; they are much more skilled than the other team."
C) "We tried our best, and it showed in our win."
D) "I can't take credit for this; the players did all the work."

Question 56

How does social class influence attribution?

A) Lower- or working-class individuals show attributions similar to those from independent cultures.
B) Lower- or working-class individuals show attributions similar to those from interdependent cultures.
C) Social class influences attributions only for Asians, but not for Westerners.
D) Social class does not influence attributions.

Question 57

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

A) Asians, Americans are less likely to assume that people are trustworthy.
B) the Japanese, Americans' judgments of faces tend to be less influenced by context.
C) Americans, the Japanese are less attentive to background elements of visual scenes.
D) Americans, Hindu East Indians are less likely to attribute others' behaviors to presumed personality traits.

Question 58

People tend to make situational attributions when levels of consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency information are low.

Question 59

On first learning that the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, Americans were probably more likely than Japanese to consider the skill of the ship's crew a causal factor.

Question 60

The fundamental attribution error refers to people's tendency to jump to situational attributions for behaviors, without considering dispositional factors.