It is ninety-five degrees outside and Sheila is sweating profusely and out of breath. When she arrives home from work and sees that her husband has not taken out the trash, she becomes frustrated and angry-more so than she usually would in this situation. Sheila is likely to behave more aggressively toward her husband if she ________ the influence of the heat on her feelings of arousal and ________ the influence of her husband's behavior on her feelings of arousal.
A) overestimates; underestimates
B) underestimates; overestimates
C) overestimates; overestimates
D) underestimates; underestimates

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sheila is likely to underestimate the influence of the heat on her feelings of arousal and overestimate the influence of her husband's behavior on her feelings of arousal. This is known as misattribution of arousal, where people can attribute their arousal to the wrong source. In this case, the intense heat may be contributing to Sheila's heightened emotional state, but she may be attributing it solely to her husband's failure to take out the trash.

It Is Ninety-Five Degrees Outside and Sheila Is Sweating Profusely