Attribution Theory and Attitudes Quiz

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

The tendency to underestimate the impact of personal disposition and underestimate the impact of the situations in analyzing the behaviors of others.

The tendency to overestimate the impact of personal disposition and overestimate the impact of the situations in analyzing the behaviors of others.

The tendency to underestimate the impact of personal disposition and overestimate the impact of the situations in analyzing the behaviors of others.

The tendency to overestimate the impact of personal disposition and underestimate the impact of the situations in analyzing the behaviors of others. (correct)

Which of the following scenarios exemplifies the concept of cognitive dissonance?

A person who believes that all dogs are friendly decides to adopt a dog from a shelter.

A person who is known for being punctual arrives late to a meeting due to unforeseen circumstances.

A person who dislikes spicy food tries a new dish that has a lot of chili peppers but ends up enjoying it.

A person who believes in environmentalism drives a gas-guzzling car. (correct)

How does our attribution of someone's bad driving behavior influence our own actions?

Both situational and dispositional attribution lead us to act cautiously.

Both situational and dispositional attribution lead us to act aggressively.

Situational attribution leads us to act cautiously, while dispositional attribution leads us to act aggressively. (correct)

Dispositional attribution leads us to act cautiously, while situational attribution leads us to act aggressively.

How does role-playing affect one's attitudes?

<p>Role-playing can lead to a shift in attitudes. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements BEST describes the link between attitudes and actions?

<p>Attitudes can influence actions, and actions can also influence attitudes. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Attribution Theory

The theory that explains how we assign causes to behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating personal disposition while underestimating situational factors in others' behavior.

Situational Attribution

Attributing behavior to external circumstances or situations.

Dispositional Attribution

Attributing behavior to a person's character or personality traits.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Cognitive Dissonance

The discomfort experienced when actions conflict with beliefs or attitudes.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

Attribution Theory

People tend to explain behavior using casual explanations.
The way we explain behavior impacts our reactions.

Effects of Attribution

Situational Attribution: Explaining behavior based on the situation. Example: "Maybe that driver is ill" – leading to cautious driving.
Dispositional Attribution: Explaining behavior based on personality. Example: "Crazy driver!" – leading to aggressive driving.
Fundamental Attribution Error: Overestimating the influence of personality and underestimating the influence of situations when judging others' actions.

Attitude

A belief and feeling influencing how one responds to things (people, objects, events).
Belief someone is mean can lead to dislike and unfriendly behavior.
Attitudes can influence actions.

Role Playing Affects Attitudes

Stanford Prison Experiment: Demonstrates how actions impact attitudes. (Led by Zimbardo).
Actions and behaviors influence attitudes.

Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance occurs when actions do not align with attitudes.
Example: Believing cheating is wrong, but still cheating –leading to a need to resolve the conflict (change attitude, or change behavior).

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Test your understanding of attribution theory and its effects on behavior. Explore how situational and dispositional attributions shape our reactions and the influence of attitudes on actions, including insights from the Stanford Prison Experiment.