π Quick Study Guide: Attribution Theory
- π€ Attribution Theory: Explains how we infer the causes of others' behavior and our own.
- π¨βπ¬ Fritz Heider: Pioneer of attribution theory, proposing internal vs. external causes.
- π§ Dispositional (Internal) Attribution: Behavior is due to a person's traits, abilities, or feelings (e.g., "She's smart").
- π Situational (External) Attribution: Behavior is due to environmental factors or circumstances (e.g., "The test was easy").
- π¨ Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE): Overestimating dispositional and underestimating situational factors when explaining others' behavior.
- π Actor-Observer Bias: Attributing our own behavior to situational factors, but others' behavior to dispositional factors.
- π Self-Serving Bias: Attributing our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors.
- βοΈ Just-World Hypothesis: The belief that people get what they deserve; good things happen to good people, bad things to bad people.
- π Covariation Model (Kelley): Explains when people make internal/external attributions based on three factors:
- π₯ Consensus: Do others behave similarly in this situation? (High = external, Low = internal)
- π― Distinctiveness: Does this person behave differently in other situations? (High = external, Low = internal)
- π Consistency: Does this person behave similarly every time in this situation? (High = internal/external, Low = uncertain)
π Practice Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
1. Which concept describes our tendency to explain someone else's behavior by overestimating their personality traits and underestimating situational influences?
- A) Self-serving bias
- B) Actor-observer bias
- C) Fundamental Attribution Error
- D) Just-world hypothesis
2. A student aces a test and says, "I studied really hard and I'm smart!" When they fail a test, they say, "The teacher made the test too difficult." This illustrates:
- A) Fundamental Attribution Error
- B) Just-world hypothesis
- C) Self-serving bias
- D) Dispositional attribution
3. According to Harold Kelley's covariation model, if many people act the same way in a given situation (high consensus), you are more likely to make a(n):
- A) Dispositional attribution
- B) Situational attribution
- C) Stable attribution
- D) Unstable attribution
4. A teacher observes a student consistently arriving late to class. The teacher immediately assumes the student is lazy and irresponsible. This is an example of:
- A) Self-serving bias
- B) Actor-observer bias
- C) Situational attribution
- D) Fundamental Attribution Error
5. When you trip and fall, you blame the uneven sidewalk. When you see someone else trip and fall, you think they are clumsy. This best exemplifies:
- A) Just-world hypothesis
- B) Actor-observer bias
- C) Self-serving bias
- D) Fundamental Attribution Error
6. Which of the following is an example of a dispositional attribution?
- A) "The traffic was terrible, so I was late."
- B) "She helped me because she is a kind person."
- C) "I failed the exam because the questions were unfair."
- D) "He won the lottery because he was lucky."
7. The belief that victims of misfortune deserve what happens to them is known as the:
- A) Self-serving bias
- B) Fundamental Attribution Error
- C) Just-world hypothesis
- D) Actor-observer bias
Click to see Answers
1. C) Fundamental Attribution Error
2. C) Self-serving bias
3. B) Situational attribution
4. D) Fundamental Attribution Error
5. B) Actor-observer bias
6. B) "She helped me because she is a kind person."
7. C) Just-world hypothesis