Victim-blaming is often explained as being the result of which psychological phenomenon?

• A. The Bystander Effect.
• B. Dispositional Attributions.
• C. Situational Attributions.
• D. The Just-World Hypothesis.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of victim-blaming: It refers to the tendency to hold victims of a crime or misfortune responsible for what happened to them.
2. Identify the psychological phenomenon: Victim-blaming is often linked to the Just-World Hypothesis, which is the belief that the world is fair and people get what they deserve.
3. Differentiate between the options: The Bystander Effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when other people are present. Dispositional Attributions involve attributing someone's behavior to their personality or character, while Situational Attributions involve attributing behavior to external circumstances.
4. Connect the Just-World Hypothesis to victim-blaming: People may blame victims to maintain their belief in a just world, thinking that if something bad happened to someone, they must have done something to deserve it.
5. Conclude that the Just-World Hypothesis is the psychological phenomenon that best explains victim-blaming, as it aligns with the belief that people get what they deserve.