Fundamental Attribution Error Quiz

The statement accurately describes social psychology as the field of psychology that focuses on understanding how individuals think about others, communicate, form relationships, and behave in groups. It also acknowledges the impact of social influence on individuals. Therefore, the answer "True" is correct.

The theory of how we explain others' behavior is known as attribution theory. This theory suggests that individuals tend to attribute the behavior of others to either internal factors (such as personality traits or abilities) or external factors (such as situational factors or luck). It emphasizes the importance of making inferences about the causes of behavior in order to understand and predict others' actions. Attribution theory helps us make sense of the social world by providing a framework for understanding the reasons behind people's behavior.

The basic concept behind the Fundamental Attribution Error is that people tend to attribute the behavior of others to dispositional factors (internal characteristics or personality traits) rather than considering situational factors (external circumstances or environment). This means that individuals often overestimate the influence of someone's personality or character in determining their behavior, while underestimating the impact of the situation they are in. This cognitive bias can lead to misunderstandings and incorrect judgments about others' actions.

The explanation for the given correct answer is that when we talk about our own behavior, we tend to attribute our actions to external factors rather than internal characteristics. This is known as the fundamental attribution error. It is a cognitive bias where we tend to overemphasize the role of personal traits and underestimate the influence of situational factors when explaining the behavior of others. However, when it comes to our own behavior, we are more likely to consider external factors and circumstances as the cause of our actions.

The magician would be able to choose the right card every single time because it is his job as a magician at the wedding to entertain the guests. If he were unable to choose the right card, his presence would be pointless and he would not be able to provide the entertainment that is expected of him.

Dispositional attribution refers to the tendency to explain someone's behavior based on their stable, enduring traits, personality, ability, and emotions. This means that when we make a dispositional attribution, we attribute the behavior to the person's internal characteristics rather than the situation or external factors. In this case, the correct answer suggests that the person's stable, enduring traits, personality, ability, and emotions are explained by dispositional attribution.

The statement is false because there are actually three types of attribution, not five. The three types are internal attribution, external attribution, and situational attribution. Internal attribution refers to explaining behavior based on a person's internal qualities or characteristics, while external attribution refers to explaining behavior based on external factors or circumstances. Situational attribution refers to explaining behavior based on the specific situation or context in which it occurs. Therefore, the statement that there are five types of attribution is incorrect.

This statement suggests that we do not overemphasize situational attribution. Situational attribution refers to attributing someone's behavior to external factors or circumstances rather than their internal traits or characteristics. However, research has shown that people often tend to overemphasize dispositional or internal factors when explaining behavior, rather than considering situational factors. This is known as the fundamental attribution error. Therefore, the statement is false as it contradicts the commonly observed tendency to overemphasize dispositional attribution.

Bowlby did not consider the situational factor of the children not knowing the environment and the people. This means that Bowlby did not take into account the unfamiliarity and lack of knowledge the children had about their surroundings and the individuals present.

People wrongly rated the game show host as the most intelligent person because he/she wrote the questions and failed to consider how the game was made. This means that the host had an advantage over the contestants by having prior knowledge of the questions and answers. As a result, the host appeared to be more intelligent than they actually were.