What is the general premise of attribution theory in psychology?

• A. Intelligence determines all behavior
• B. Behavior is driven by unconscious conflicts
• C. People explain behavior and events by attributing causes to internal dispositions or external circumstances
• D. Personality fixed at birth

Answer: (C)

Attribution theory deals with how we explain why people and events happen, typically by assigning causes to internal dispositions (like personality or motives) or to external circumstances (the situation). This framework matters because our attributions influence how we feel, what we expect, and how we respond to others.

For example, if someone arrives late to a meeting, we might blame their lateness on internal factors (they’re disorganized) or external factors (there was traffic). Our interpretation shapes our reaction and future interactions.

The other options mix in ideas from different theories: one suggests a single factor like intelligence controls all behavior, another points to unconscious conflicts from psychodynamic theory, and another implies personality is fixed at birth. These don’t capture the attribution process, which centers on explaining behavior through internal or external causes.