Question

Describe the study by Storms (1973) on the actor-observer difference explanation of the fundamental attribution error. In what condition were participants most likely to make a dispositional attribution for their own behavior?

Answer 1

The study by Storms (1973) explored the actor-observer difference explanation of the fundamental attribution error. Participants were most likely to attribute their own behavior to dispositions when unaware of the situational factors. The study demonstrates the impact of both situational and dispositional factors on behavior attributions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The study by Storms (1973) addressed the actor-observer difference as an explanation for the fundamental attribution error, a concept in social psychology. According to the theory, there is a discrepancy between how we explain our own behavior and how we explain the behaviors of others. We have a tendency to attribute other people's actions to their dispositions (internal factors), but we explain our own actions based on situational (external) influences.

In Storms' study, participants were most likely to make dispositional attributions for their own behavior when they lacked awareness of the situational factors affecting them. This contrasts with the common occurrence of the actor-observer bias, where one is more likely to attribute their behavior to external factors due to a greater awareness of situational influences. The tendency to attribute others' behavior to their dispositions occurs because observers often lack complete information on the situational forces acting upon the person they are observing.

This study contributes to our understanding that behavior is influenced both by situational and dispositional factors, and how we may often erroneously attribute behaviors to dispositions due to the fundamental attribution error.