Just as Evelyn reached the bus stop, her bus pulled away. "I knew it," she muttered to herself, "the bus driver hates me." Just as she reached the lobby at work, the elevator doors were closing. "My co-workers probably saw me but let the doors close anyway," she thought. Later that day, she encountered some problems with her computer. "I bet someone was messing with my computer," she thought, "probably trying to make me screw up and look bad. Grrr." Based on these incidents, it appears that Evelyn has a ____.
A)hostile attribution bias
B)Type A attributional style
C)tendency to make the ultimate attribution error
D)hostile expectation bias

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Evelyn's tendency to interpret neutral or even negative events as being deliberately caused by others with a hostile intent towards her is indicative of a hostile attribution bias. This bias leads individuals to assume that others' actions, even when ambiguous or benign, are motivated by malicious intent.

Just as Evelyn Reached the Bus Stop, Her Bus Pulled