"Look, Officer, I didn't see the stop sign back there because the sun was in my eyes." The police officer responds, "You were not paying attention." How would a social psychologist describe this situation?
a) Both individuals were making fundamental attribution errors.
b) Both individuals were making external attributions.
c) The driver was making an internal attribution; the officer was making an external attribution.
d) The driver was making an external attribution; the officer was making an internal attribution.
ANS: D, The driver attributed his error to something in his situation—that is, the sun—whereas the officer attributed his error to something internal to him—that is, his lack of attention.
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Time for another round of Jeopardy. One of the categories is "Famous Authors." With great confidence you say, "I'll take ‘Famous Authors' for $200." The revealed answer is "Believed in mediums and fairies." Just before the buzzer sounds,what will you say?
a) "Who is Mark Twain?" b) "Who is Sigmund Freud?" c) "Who is Ernest Hemingway?" d) "Who is Arthur Conan Doyle?"
You are faced with a choice between two hypothetical explanations of an event. Theory A is straightforward and brief; Theory B is complex and lengthy. If you select Theory A, you are using the law of
a) parsimony. b) eclectism. c) anti-complexity. d) personal choice.