While walking through the halls of middle school, Vic accidentally bumps into a student named Jack. Vic is surprised when Jack responds by yelling profanity at Vic and punching him in the stomach several times. Which term best describes Jack's reaction?
A) hostile attribution bias
B) visual-spatial deficit
C) callous-unemotional effect
D) reactive transference

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hostile attribution bias refers to the tendency to interpret ambiguous situations as hostile or aggressive. In this case, Jack's reaction of yelling profanity and physically attacking Vic suggests that he may have a hostile attribution bias, perceiving Vic's accidental bump as intentional and hostile.

While Walking Through the Halls of Middle School, Vic Accidentally