psychology
beginner
10 sample questions
Attribution Theory MCQ Practice Test
Explaining causes of behavior
Q1. Which of the following best describes the "fundamental attribution error" in the context of attribution theory, as identified by Lee Ross?
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A. The tendency for individuals to overestimate the impact of dispositional factors on behavior.
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B. The tendency for individuals to overestimate the impact of situational factors on behavior.
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C. The tendency for individuals to underestimate the impact of dispositional factors on behavior.
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D. The tendency for individuals to overestimate the impact of dispositional factors on behavior, while underestimating the impact of situational factors. ✓
Explanation: Ross's fundamental attribution error (correspondence bias) is the tendency to overestimate dispositional causes of other people's behavior while underestimating situational pressures - the keyed option states both halves of the definition.
Q2. Which of the following statements accurately describes the distinction between the fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias?
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A. The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute others' behavior to their character, whereas the actor-observer bias refers to the tendency to attribute one's own behavior to situational factors. ✓
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B. The actor-observer bias refers to the tendency to attribute others' behavior to situational factors, whereas the fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute one's own behavior to character.
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C. The fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias are two different terms for the same cognitive bias.
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D. The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute one's own behavior to situational factors, whereas the actor-observer bias refers to the tendency to attribute others' behavior to character.
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overestimate the role of personality and underestimate the impact of situational factors when explaining others' behavior. The actor-observer bias, on the other hand, refers to the tendency to attribute one's own behavior to situational factors and others' behavior to their character.
Q3. Which of the following statements accurately reflects the distinction between the fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias, as described in attribution theory?
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A. The fundamental attribution error occurs when observers attribute their own behavior to situational factors, whereas the actor-observer bias occurs when observers attribute others' behavior to dispositions.
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B. The fundamental attribution error occurs when observers attribute others' behavior to dispositions, whereas the actor-observer bias occurs when observers attribute their own behavior to situational factors. ✓
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C. The fundamental attribution error occurs when observers attribute their own behavior to dispositions, whereas the actor-observer bias occurs when observers attribute their own behavior to situational factors.
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D. The fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias are interchangeable terms in attribution theory.
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency for observers to overestimate the role of personality and underestimate the impact of situational factors when explaining others' behavior. In contrast, the actor-observer bias refers to the tendency for observers to attribute their own behavior to situational factors and others' behavior to dispositions. This distinction highlights the asymmetry in how we explain our own behavior versus the behavior of others.
Q4. Which of the following is an example of a situational attribution, as per Heider's (1958) theory, when a person's behavior is influenced by a temporary and unstable factor such as a sudden change in environment?
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A. The employee's poor performance is attributed to their lack of motivation, which is a stable and internal factor.
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B. The employee's poor performance is attributed to their recent move to a new city, which is a temporary and unstable factor. ✓
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C. The employee's poor performance is attributed to their lack of ability, which is a stable and internal factor.
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D. The employee's poor performance is attributed to their recent conflict with a coworker, which is a stable and internal factor.
Explanation: Heider's (1958) theory of attribution suggests that situational attributions are made when a person's behavior is influenced by external and temporary factors. In this example, the employee's poor performance is caused by a recent change in environment, making it a situational attribution.
Q5. Which of the following is an example of a “correspondence bias”, as described by attribution theory?
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A. The tendency for people to overestimate the influence of situational factors on others' behavior.
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B. The tendency for people to overestimate the influence of dispositional factors on others' behavior. ✓
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C. The tendency for people to underestimate the influence of situational factors on their own behavior.
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D. The tendency for people to overestimate the influence of dispositional factors on their own behavior.
Explanation: Correspondence bias, also known as the fundamental attribution error, is the tendency for people to overestimate the influence of personality or character (dispositional factors) on others' behavior, while underestimating the impact of situational factors.
Q6. Which of the following is an example of a situational attribution for a person's behavior, as described by Heider's (1958) theory of attribution?
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A. \u2118he person's bad mood is the primary reason for their aggressive behavior.
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B. The person's aggressive behavior is solely due to their own personality traits.
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C. The person's aggressive behavior is a result of the challenging work environment they are in. ✓
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D. The person's aggressive behavior is a result of their own free will.
Explanation: This question requires the test-taker to understand Heider's (1958) theory of attribution, which differentiates between dispositional and situational attributions. A situational attribution would involve blaming the situation or environment for a person's behavior, rather than their own personality traits or free will.
Q7. Which of the following best illustrates the self-serving bias in attribution?
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A. Attributing success to internal factors and failure to external factors ✓
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B. Attributing both success and failure to internal factors
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C. Attributing both success and failure to external factors
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D. Attributing success to external factors and failure to internal factors
Explanation: The self-serving bias is the tendency to take credit for successes (internal attributions) while blaming failures on outside circumstances (external attributions).
Q8. Which of the following attributional biases is characterized by the tendency to attribute one's own failures to situational factors, while attributing others' successes to their ability?
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A. Actor-Observer Asymmetry
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B. Fundamental Attribution Error
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C. Illusion of Control
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D. Self-Serving Bias ✓
Explanation: This bias refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to their abilities, while blaming external circumstances for their failures. In contrast, they tend to attribute others' successes to their abilities, while blaming external circumstances for their failures.
Q9. Which of the following is an example of a situational attribution bias, according to attribution theory?
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A. A person who is late to a meeting is more likely to attribute the delay to the traffic, rather than their own lack of planning. ✓
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B. A person who is rejected by a romantic partner is more likely to attribute the rejection to their own lack of attractiveness.
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C. A person who performs well on a task is more likely to attribute their success to their own ability, rather than the ease of the task.
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D. A person who fails to achieve a goal is more likely to attribute their failure to the difficulty of the task, rather than their own lack of ability.
Explanation: This is an example of a situational attribution bias, as the person is attributing the delay to an external factor (traffic) rather than their own internal factor (lack of planning).
Q10. Which of the following is an example of a “correction” in Harold Kelley’s (1967) attributional model, where an individual seeks additional information to disconfirm an initial attribution?
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A. The “Fundamental Attribution Error”, where people tend to overestimate the role of personality and underestimate the role of situational factors
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B. The “Actor-Observer Bias”, where people attribute their own behavior to situational factors and others’ behavior to their personality
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C. The “Self-Serving Bias”, where people attribute their own successes to internal dispositions and their own failures to external circumstances
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D. The “correction” process, where an individual seeks additional information to disconfirm an initial attribution, such as seeking more information about a person’s past behavior ✓
Explanation: Harold Kelley’s attributional model proposes that individuals use different methods to make attributions, including “correction”, where they seek additional information to disconfirm an initial attribution. This can involve seeking more information about a person’s past behavior, their intentions, or the situation.
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