School Social Work (SWK) Content Exam 184 Practice

According to Weiner's attribution theory, attributing a person's success to luck is an example of which attribution?

Internal attribution (effort and ability) External attribution (luck) Self-serving bias Stability attribution

Correct Answer:

External attribution (luck)

Explanation:

In Weiner's attribution theory, the way we explain a success or failure depends on the locus of causality. Attributing a person’s success to luck places the cause outside the person, which is an external attribution. Luck isn’t something the person did or could control, so it fits external rather than internal explanations like effort or ability. It’s also typically seen as unstable—luck can change from moment to moment—further supporting the external attribution label. Self-serving bias is a bias about how people present causes to protect self-esteem, not a straightforward type of causal attribution, and stability attribution concerns whether the cause is stable over time, which isn’t the primary issue when labeling luck. So the best fit is external attribution (luck).

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