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AP Psychology 4.1 Attribution Theory and Person Perception Questions

Apply attribution biases and locus of control to explanations of behaviour, then analyse mere exposure, self-fulfilling, spotlight and halo effects.

Syllabus
Effective Fall 2025
Course
AP Psychology

Exam points

  • distinguish dispositional from situational attributions when explaining behaviour
  • apply fundamental attribution error, actor-observer bias, or self-serving bias
  • distinguish internal from external locus of control by the perceived cause of outcomes
  • apply the mere-exposure effect when repeated contact increases liking or preference
  • apply self-fulfilling prophecy when expectations elicit behaviour that confirms them

Covered syllabus points

4.1.A—Explain how attribution theory applies to behavior and mental processes4.1.B—Explain how locus of control (internal and external) applies to behavior and mental processes4.1.C—Explain how person perception applies to behavior and mental processes. UNIT 4 Social Psychology and Personality

Question 1

[Maximum number: 1]

Ruth is bored at home alone, so she decides to watch a scary movie. At the most tense part of the movie, when a large, scary-looking creature is being chased through the village by an angry mob, Ruth's roommate Lynn comes home unexpectedly and flips on the lights. Ruth is startled and spills her hot chocolate on herself.

Part B As they are cleaning up, Ruth tells Lynn the plot of the movie she was watching. While the creature was large and scary-looking, he was actually quite gentle and friendly. The villagers discussed the situation and concluded that the creature was going to hurt them, so they grabbed their torches and pitchforks and chased him out of town. As the creature tried to escape, he tripped over a rock and knocked down a villager.

Explain how each of the following concepts relates to the villagers' perceptions during this scene in the movie.

- Out-group homogeneity bias

- Fundamental attribution error

Fundamental attribution error

Question 2

[Maximum number: 1]

Dr. Germanotta hypothesized that the more witnesses there are to a crime, the less likely any one witness will help. She collected data on the number of people who helped someone in distress and the number of people walking by at that particular time. Dr. Germanotta found the following statistically significant results.

Figure for Question 2 — AP Psychology

Part C Explain how each of the following is related to helping behavior.

- Internal locus of control

- Modeling

Internal locus of control

Question 3

[Maximum number: 1]

Dr. Knowles is interested in exploring the relationship between garment cost and perceptions of clothing quality. She predicts that higher-priced clothing will be perceived as being of higher quality. She creates a Web site that presents floral shirts listed at a variety of prices. Participants are directed to the Web site, where they are asked to rate the quality of each shirt (on a 1 to 10 scale, with higher numbers meaning better quality). The data collected are presented in the scatterplot.

Figure for Question 3 — AP Psychology

Part B Explain how each of the following could affect participants' perceptions of the floral shirts on the Web site.

- Mere-exposure effect

- Cones of the retina

Mere-exposure effect

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