AP Psych Attribution

A dispositional attribution blames internal factor(s) like

• economy

• weather

• character flaws

• lack of sleep

A situational attribution blames external factor(s) like

• personality traits

• temperament (unchanging emotions)

• character flaws

• lack of sleep

The fundamental attribution error underestimates ___________ attribution and overestimates ___________ attribution.

• situational; dispositional

• dispositional; situational

The self-serving bias uses ___________ attribution after success; however, it uses _________ attribution after failure.

• situational; dispositional

• dispositional; situational

The actor-observer bias uses ___________ attribution when the actor explains behavior; however, it uses _________ attribution when observers explain behavior.

• situational; dispositional

• dispositional; situational

Teachers may inaccurately assume that teenagers are all the same. They inaccurately underestimate the diversity among teenagers.

• In-group bias

• Outgroup homogeneity effect

• Discrimination

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

A parent views the child's messy bedroom and thinks that the child is MESSY and LAZY! The parent does not consider that the child recently had a stomach virus and did not have a chance to clean.

• Situational attribution

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

• Self-serving bias

• Fundamental attribution error

When teachers hear that a student is BRIGHT, they EXPECT MORE from that student and then the student performs better.

• Self-serving bias

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

• Stereotype

• Fundamental attribution error

A woman saves a dog after it falls into a frozen lake breaking through thin ice. The woman says she was lucky to see the dog. The children who were walking the dog call the woman a HERO!

• Fundamental attribution error

• Self-serving bias

• Actor-observer bias

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

A doctor says he is a genius when a surgery goes well, but if there are errors, he blames the stress at the hospital.

• Fundamental attribution error

• Self-serving bias

• Actor-observer bias

• Self-fulfilling prophecy