According to attribution theory, people are most likely to attribute

According to attribution theory, people are most likely to attribute

Options:

(a) Successes to luck and failures to their own inadequacies

(b) Successes to their own abilities and failures to (bad) luck

(c) Both successes and failures to their own abilities

(d) Both successes and failures to luck

✅ Correct Option: (b) Successes to their own abilities and failures to (bad) luck

Explanation (200+ words):

Attribution theory, developed by Bernard Weiner, explains how individuals interpret the causes of their successes and failures. Research consistently shows that people tend to protect their self-esteem by making self-serving attributions. This means individuals are most likely to attribute success to internal factors such as ability or effort, while blaming failures on external factors such as luck, task difficulty, or unfair circumstances. This pattern helps maintain positive self-image and emotional well-being. For example, a student who scores well on an exam may believe it was due to intelligence or hard work, while poor performance may be blamed on a difficult paper or bad luck. This attribution pattern is common across cultures and educational settings. Therefore, according to attribution theory, people most often attribute successes to their own abilities and failures to bad luck, making option (b) the correct answer.

10 Related PPSC Facts:

Attribution theory explains causes of outcomes. Proposed by Weiner. Self-serving bias is common. Success linked to internal causes. Failure blamed on external causes. Protects self-esteem. Affects motivation. Influences emotions. Important in education psychology. Teachers should guide attributions.