Question

Janice is a college student who is active in politics. She considers voting to be very important for everyone, especially young people. So she volunteers 5 hours a week to staff a table at the student union, encouraging students to register to vote, for any political party. Her stance toward voting is best described as a(n) a. belief. b. attitude c. attribution. d. bias.

Short answer

b. attitude

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Definition of Each Option

Understand the meanings of belief, attitude, attribution, and bias. A belief is something someone considers to be true, while an attitude is a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something. Attribution refers to explaining the causes of behavior, whereas bias is a prejudice in favor of or against something.

Analyze the Scenario

In this scenario, Janice views voting as very important and acts on this view by volunteering. Her action reflects a consistent belief-statement through behavior.

Determine which Concept Fits the Scenario

While Janice's consistent dedication might initially suggest belief, her active encouragement and behavior representing her stance aligns more with an attitude. She is not just believing in the importance of voting, but actively supporting and promoting it as part of her behavior.

Choose the Best Option

Given her stance involves consistent actions in a repeated behavior (volunteering to encourage voter registration), the best described fit is 'attitude,' as it signifies a consistent approach to triggering actions.

Key concepts

Belief

In the context of psychology, a **belief** refers to an idea that someone accepts as true. These are individual understandings or convictions about certain facts or concepts. Beliefs help shape how a person perceives the world and are influenced by experiences, upbringing, and personal insights. They are important because they can determine how a person thinks or acts but do not necessarily lead to action.
Consider Janice, who believes strongly in the power of voting as a democratic right. This belief forms the basis of her understanding of civic duty. However, simply holding this belief does not require her to take action or influence others unless it transforms into an attitude or more considerable purpose. Beliefs are the foundation and can be either accurate or erroneous without the need for manifestation in behavior.

• Beliefs are foundational thoughts considered to be true.
• They are key in shaping perspectives and worldviews.
• They do not require action on their own.

Attribution

**Attribution** in psychology is the process by which people explain the causes of behavior and events. It can be seen as figuring out why people act the way they do, and it can also apply to understanding the reasons for one's behavior.
For instance, if Janice is trying to understand why many of her fellow students are reluctant to vote, she might attribute this behavior to a lack of awareness or belief in the voting system. Attribution involves making judgments about past behavior to inform future decision-making. It is centered around cause and effect and plays a significant role in how individuals and societies understand actions.

• Attribution seeks to explain why behaviors occur.
• It involves cause-and-effect reasoning.
• It helps in understanding personal and others' actions.

Bias

**Bias** refers to a subjective, often unfair judgment that influences a person's thoughts and behavior. It tends to be a predisposition towards certain ideas, people, or situations and can affect the way information is processed.
In Janice's case, her dedication to encouraging voter registration is not an indication of bias, unless she begins to exclusively promote particular political parties or candidates. Bias often leads to stubbornness or a refusal to consider other viewpoints and can skew perceptions of people or issues.

• Bias affects judgment and perceptions.
• It often signals unfairness or partiality in thinking.
• Bias can lead to imbalanced or unjust outcomes.