Topic 4.1 : Attribution Theory & Locus of Control

What is the primary focus of attribution theory?

• Studying brain functions

• Analyzing group dynamics

• Understanding cultural differences

• Explaining the causes of behavior

Which of the following is an example of a dispositional attribution?

• Believing someone is late because of traffic

• Attributing a win to favorable weather conditions

• Assuming a student is smart because they scored well on a test

• Thinking a person is angry because they had a bad day

How does an optimistic explanatory style affect an individual's perception of negative events?

• They believe negative events are due to personal flaws

• They attribute negative events to external and specific causes

• They see negative events as isolated incidents

• They attribute negative events to internal and global causes

What is the actor-observer bias?

• The tendency to attribute one's own actions to external factors and others' actions to internal factors

• The tendency to attribute one's own actions to dispositional factors

• The tendency to attribute all behaviors to external factors

• The tendency to attribute others' behaviors to situational factors

Which of the following best describes the fundamental attribution error?

• Attributing positive events to internal causes

• Attributing negative events to specific circumstances

• Attributing others' behaviors to dispositional factors while ignoring situational factors

• Attributing one's own failures to external factors

What is a self-serving bias?

• The tendency to attribute failures to internal factors

• The tendency to attribute successes to external factors

• The tendency to see oneself in a negative light

• The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors

How does a global explanatory style affect an individual's perception of negative events?

• They attribute negative events to specific, controllable causes

• They attribute negative events to causes affecting many areas of life

• They see negative events as isolated incidents

• They believe negative events are due to external factors

What is the ultimate attribution error?

• Attributing positive events to internal causes

• Attributing the behavior of a group member to the entire group

• Attributing negative events to specific circumstances

• Attributing one's own behavior to situational factors

Which of the following is an example of a situational attribution?

• Thinking a person is late due to heavy traffic

• Assuming a student is lazy because they failed a test

• Believing a person is kind because they helped someone

• Attributing a win to a team's skill

What impact does an optimistic explanatory style have on mental health?

• It is associated with better mental health and resilience

• It results in more negative psychological outcomes

• It causes individuals to attribute all events to external factors

• It leads to increased learned helplessness