Of the following students, who is most clearly demonstrating an internal attribution?

• A. Ethan blames his poor exam performance on bad luck.
• B. Sophie says she failed her exam because the classroom was too noisy.
• C. James thinks he failed his exam because the questions were unfair.
• D. Maria believes she failed her exam because she did not study hard enough.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of attribution in psychology: Attribution refers to how individuals explain the causes of their own or others' behavior. There are two main types: internal (dispositional) and external (situational) attributions.
2. Identify internal attribution: This occurs when a person attributes their behavior or outcomes to factors within themselves, such as their abilities, effort, or traits.
3. Identify external attribution: This occurs when a person attributes their behavior or outcomes to outside factors, such as luck, other people, or environmental conditions.
4. Analyze each student's explanation: Ethan blames bad luck (external), Sophie blames the noisy classroom (external), James blames unfair questions (external), and Maria blames not studying hard enough (internal).
5. Conclude that Maria is demonstrating an internal attribution because she attributes her exam failure to her own effort, which is an internal factor.