Kara gets an F on her social psychology exam. If she attributes her failure to the test being unfair rather than her own lack of preparation, which psychological concept is she demonstrating?

• A. Fundamental attribution error
• B. Cognitive dissonance
• C. Social facilitation
• D. Self-serving bias

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the key behavior in the problem: Kara attributes her failure to an external cause (the test being unfair) rather than an internal cause (her own lack of preparation).
2. Recall the psychological concepts related to attribution: Fundamental attribution error involves overemphasizing internal causes for others' behavior, while self-serving bias involves attributing one's own failures to external factors and successes to internal factors.
3. Understand that cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs, and social facilitation relates to performance changes in the presence of others, which do not fit this scenario.
4. Match Kara's behavior to the concept where individuals protect their self-esteem by blaming external factors for failures, which is the self-serving bias.
5. Conclude that Kara is demonstrating self-serving bias because she attributes her failure to an external cause to protect her self-esteem.