Question

Kiara is a first-semester freshman and just failed her first test. As a result, she is starting to question whether she belongs in college. Which of the following is NOT a reason why Kiara may be experiencing attributional ambiguity?

a) She attributes her failure to her lack of effort and study habits
b) She believes the test was unfairly difficult, making it hard to determine her abilities
c) She attributes her failure to external factors, such as a distracting roommate
d) She sees her failure as a reflection of her overall academic potential

Answer 1

Kiara is not experiencing attributional ambiguity due to her internal attribution of lack of effort and study habits. Attributional ambiguity arises when an individual cannot decipher if their performance is due to personal abilities or external circumstances. the correct option is a) She attributes her failure to her lack of effort and study habits .

Step-by-step explanation:

Kiara may be experiencing attributional ambiguity which is the uncertainty that arises when individuals are uncertain whether to attribute their own behavior or outcomes to internal or external causes. In Kiara's case, the reason that is NOT a cause of attributional ambiguity is (a) She attributes her failure to her lack of effort and study habits.

Attributional ambiguity typically involves the difficulty in determining whether performance is due to personal ability or external factors. For example, if Kiara believes the test was too difficult (b), that suggests the possibility that the test, not her inherent ability, was the problem. Similarly, if she blames external factors such as a distracting roommate (c), she's unsure whether her ability suffices in a more conducive environment.