What type of attribution involves ascribing behavior to external factors such as luck or social pressure?

Situational attributions involve ascribing a person's behavior to external factors, which include circumstances such as social pressure, luck, or the specific environment they are in. This approach recognizes that behavior is often influenced by situational context rather than solely by an individual's traits or personality. For example, if someone performs poorly on a test, one might attribute their failure to the test conditions, such as being sick that day or facing unexpected questions.

On the other hand, dispositional attributions focus on internal factors such as personality traits or inherent abilities that influence behavior, while internal attributions also refer to the idea that behavior is caused by internal qualities. Cognitive attributions, while related to how we perceive and interpret situations, do not specifically refer to the externalization of blame or cause. Thus, situational attributions are a broader concept that explicitly deals with the external factors affecting one's behavior, making it the correct choice in this context.