PSYC 312
ACTIVITY ASSIGNMENT 1: ANSWER SHEET
Student Name:
Directions: Read each scenario and answer the questions below in the boxes provided (they will
expand to fit your answer). All information needed to answer these questions can be found in this
week’s readings, along with the scenario details themselves. Try to be thorough in your answers,
providing explanations and supporting evidence as necessary. Your answers should be more
than one simple sentence. Aim for a few sentences or a short paragraph for maximum credit.
Scenario A: Pamela is busy studying in her high school’s library when she becomes
distracted by the sound of increasingly loud snoring. She looks around and observes that
one of her fellow classmates, Kevin, has fallen asleep at a desk nearby and has now gotten
the attention of the librarian as well.
1. What does your schema tell you about what to expect in a typical library setting? Include
expectations about both the physical details of the setting itself (e.g., what do you expect to see
when you look around a library?) as well as the expected behaviors of people within a library.
As we all know the library is a place for studying, a place that you know you will be able to
go to with no intruptions. I am certain that if Kevin’s snoring has caught the attention of the
librarian, it has caught the attention of others that is also trying to study as well. The library
is one not the place for sleeping but two Kevin has possibly been busy studying as much as
Pamela, so he may be tired, overwhelmed and hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep.
2. Pamela struggles with insomnia. The librarian on duty just came from confronting a different
student who was rude and disrespectful towards her when she told him to be more quiet. Contrast
how Pamela and the librarian will each now be primed to think about/explain Kevin’s behavior
and why.
Kevin’s behavior may or may not be intentional. Pamela or the librarian can not answer why
or understand why Kevin would come to the library to sleep. However we only see that
Kevin is sleeping and interrupting other students. Pamela suffers from insomnia. Could it be
possible that Kevin is struggling with something as well? The librarian and Pamela only see
that Kevin’s intentions are rude and that his actions need to be addressed.
3. What does the theory of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy say about how the librarian will treat Kevin
the next time she sees him in the library? How will that in turn affect Kevin’s behavior towards
the librarian? According to this theory, will the librarian’s opinion of Kevin eventually be
confirmed or not?
The librarian thinks that Kevin has not been using his time wisely, as he is in the library
sleeping. Because Kevin was sleeping the first time, the librarian will always keep an eye out
and give him a hard time. Kevin may be confused as to why she is not understanding that he
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PSYC 312
didn’t intentally fall asleep. He is so busy and possibly needed a break. Kevin will either
ignore how the librarian feels, continue to study and not sleep. Kevin’s opinion may not be
confirmed since the librarian approached Kevin in a negative way, not allowing Kevin to
explain why he may be behaving in this manner.
Continue on to next page…
Scenario B: Ever since Michael started attending his new school three months ago, his
fellow classmate, Bruce, has called him names and shoved him into the wall several times a
week. Michael has witnessed Bruce doing the same thing to several of his other classmates
as well. Normally Michael gets along well with fellow classmates and is therefore
particularly bothered by Bruce’s mean behavior. Use the covariation model to analyze this
situation below.
1. Analyze Bruce’s behavior using the consensus information available. Would Bruce’s behavior
be considered high or low in consensus and why?
Has anyone else, a teacher, seen Bruce’s behavior? Does Bruce only target new students or is
he dealing with something personal. Bruce’s behavior would seem low consensus because
Michael has seen him bully other classmates and he seems to be the only bully, no one else
bully’s Michael.
2. Analyze Bruce’s behavior using the distinctiveness information available. Would Bruce’s
behavior be considered high or low in distinctiveness and why?
Bruce bully’s multiple students including Micheal. In this case Bruce is showing low
distinctiveness.
3. Analyze Bruce’s behavior using the consistency information available. Would Bruce’s
behavior be considered high or low in consistency and why?
Bruce’s behavior is very consistent, as Micheal is now tired of being treated that way.
Micheal’s classmates, I am sure may be bothered as well. Bruce’s behavior is considered
high consistency. Bruce’s behavior is frequent and it may be something that’s going on with
Bruce itself.
4. Based on your above analyses, would you make an external or internal attribution for Bruce’s
bullying and why?
Bruce’s behavior is something that should be addressed soon before this bullying gets out of
hand and something worse comes of this. No one other than Bruce bullys Micheal and his
classmates and his behavior is frequent which means this situation is an internal attribution.
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PSYC 312
Continue on to next page…
Scenario C: Angela just received her test paper back and she earned an A. She looked over
at her classmate, Lucy, and noticed that Lucy had received a D on her test.
1. According to the Fundamental Attribution Error, how will Angela explain Lucy’s poor
performance on her test?
Angela success on her test is a win in her book but not so much for Lucy. Angela thinks that
Lucy did not try hard enough or she tried as best she could and it may have been really
difficult in results to receiving a D.
2. According to the Two-Step Process of Attribution, how might Angela adjust her initial
explanation for Lucy’s poor performance? Be sure to provide a specific example of an alternate
explanation for the bad grade.
Angela changes her initial thought of why Lucy possibly received that grade. Angela takes
that extra step at understanding why? Angela does not want to quickly judge Lucy, so
Angela starts to think that maybe Lucy may have some other distractions going on and she
honestly tried on her test.
3. Based on information in the textbook, provide at least three general factors that will influence
whether a person will actually engage in step two of the Two-Step Process?
Self-serving attributions
4. Based on research on cultural differences in the Fundamental Attribution Error, explain how
culture (i.e., collectivist versus individualist) influences the type of attributions people tend to
make. In your answer, specify which type of culture would be more likely to make a
dispositional vs. situational attribution for Lucy’s bad grade. Given your answer, which culture is
more likely to make the Fundamental Attribution Error in this situation?
Continue on to next page…
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PSYC 312
Scenario D: Rosa is playing mini-golf with some friends and acquaintances. Paul has been
making fun of her mini-golf skills all night. She tries to ignore him because she knows she is
a great player, but his taunts are starting to annoy her.
1. At the end of the night, Rosa earned the winning score of the game. If Rosa makes a self-
serving attribution, how will she explain her win? Is she more likely to make an internal or
external attribution?
Rosa is happy for her successful win so she has taken credit for that win no matter how much
Paul taunted her during the game.
2. How would Rosa use a self-serving attribution to explain a losing score instead? Would she be
more likely to make an internal or external attribution?
3. At the end of the night, Paul trips and sprains his ankle. According to the Belief in a Just
World theory, how will Rosa explain this situation?
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