The dean of academic affairs visits a professor's class as part of a tenure review. At the conclusion of the lecture, the dean exits hurriedly, without saying a word to the professor. The professor, who is prone to depression, concludes, "The dean hated my class so much he was too embarrassed to speak to me." This is an example of a(n):
A) overgeneralization.
B) arbitrary inference.
C) selective abstraction.
D) magnification and minimization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The professor is making a conclusion without evidence (arbitrary inference) based on the dean's behavior, assuming that the dean hated the class, which may not be true.

The Dean of Academic Affairs Visits a Professor's Class as Part