When Howie's previous girlfriend used to get upset with him, he could smooth things over by buying flowers or chocolates for her. He keeps trying this strategy with his current girlfriend, but she gets angry with him each time. It appears that Howie has developed a _______________, which is interfering with the development of a new relationship strategy.
A) mental set
B) fairness bias
C) hindsight bias
D) confirmation bias

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Howie has developed a mental set, which is a cognitive tendency to approach problems in a familiar way based on past experiences. He is accustomed to using buying gifts to smooth over conflict in relationships, but this strategy is not working with his current girlfriend. Therefore, he needs to develop a new relationship strategy and break his mental set. Neither fairness bias, hindsight bias, nor confirmation bias accurately describe the situation.

When Howie's Previous Girlfriend Used to Get Upset with Him