Question

Two students are discussing their teacher's inability to remember student names. One attributes the inability to a poor memory, but the other believes it is due to a lack of motivation. Researchers would judge which of the two explanations is best by

a. attributing the inability to a situational variable.

b. measuring how strongly each friend feels about his opinion.

c. attributing the inability to remember to a dis-positional variable.

d. determining how well each explanation predicts behavior in new situations.

Answer 1

To determine the most accurate explanation for a teacher's inability to remember student names, researchers would assess which explanation better predicts behavior in new situations, considering both situational and dispositional factors, while acknowledging the influence of the fundamental attribution error.

Step-by-step explanation:

Researchers would judge which of the two explanations is best by determining how well each explanation predicts behavior in new situations. This method assesses the predictive validity of each explanation by seeing whether attributing the inability to remember to a situational or dispositional variable consistently explains the teacher's behavior across various contexts. Situational variables relate to external factors that influence behavior, while dispositional variables are related to internal traits or characteristics. In this context, the inability to remember names could be due to the teacher's personal trait (poor memory) or external circumstances (lack of motivation).

The fundamental attribution error is a common mistake in social perception, where an observer attribute's another's behavior to their disposition while failing to recognize situational variables that may influence the behavior.