Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows. It is a very hot day. Because of the uncomfortable heat, Grayson is acting very irritable and short tempered. He doesn't believe that he is normally a rude person but rather thinks that the weather is making him act rudely. Amelia sees Grayson act in a rude way and assumes that he is just a rude person. Why are there different attributions to Grayson's behavior?
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: We understand our own motivations and know more about ourselves and what our typical behavior is. We know less about those we observe, so we take their behavior and use it as a data point about them: "Oh, they’re the kind of person who does this."
_________ tends to be caused by a desire to protect an individual’s self-esteem.
Describe the actor-observer bias and explain why it occurs.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: The actor-observer bias is a form of attribution bias in which a person is more likely to make an external attribution for behavior when acting and more likely to make an internal attribution for behavior when observing another. The actor-observer bias likely occurs because individuals are more likely to understand the constraints under which they act but are less likely to understand what constrains others.
Explain how attributions can affect behavior.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: An attribution is an explanation for a particular behavior. The attribution one assigns to a particular behavior can affect one's attitude and the behavior that is desired in response. For instance, if one believes that criminals act because of internal attributions (they commit crimes because they are immoral), one might believe that the only solution to crime is to arrest and jail as many criminals as possible. If, however, one believes that criminals act because of external attributions (they commit crimes because they are impoverished), one's solution might be to change the circumstance in which criminals live. The change in attribution affects the outlook and the potential actions.
Which of the following is the best demonstration of the fundamental attribution error?
Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows. Judy is running late for class. Her alarm clock didn’t ring, so she woke up late. Her car wouldn’t start, so she had to take the bus. When she arrives at school, the professor scolds her for “planning poorly.” Which of the following statements about the professor is most likely to be true?
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