In attribution terms, which is external or circumstantial reasoning such as traffic?

• A. Internal / Dispositional
• B. Stable
• C. External / circumstantial
• D. Confirmation Bias

Answer: (C)

External or circumstantial reasoning attributes outcomes to factors in the environment or the situation rather than to the person. Traffic is a classic example because it’s outside the individual’s control and specific to the moment, making it a situational, external attribution. If you blamed lateness on the person’s character or traits (e.g., they’re careless), that would be internal or dispositional attribution. The “stable” option refers to whether the cause is enduring over time, not to whether it’s external. Confirmation bias is a separate idea about favoring information that confirms preconceptions, not about the source of the cause. So traffic fits external/circumstantial attribution best.