The study of the judgments people make as to whether someone else's behavior is due to something about that person or due to the person's situation is called ______.

A) the primacy effect
B) cognitive dissonance
C) attribution theory
D) stereotyping

The study of the judgments people make as to whether someone else's behavior is due to something about that person or due to the person's situation is called attribution theory. The primacy effect refers to people's tendency to remember the first information they encounter about someone or something. Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort people experience when they hold contradictory beliefs or values. Stereotyping refers to a simplified, overgeneralized idea about a group of people.