Question

After the clerk was snippy with the customer, the customer assumed the salesman was a mean person and did not consider that the clerk could be a nice person having a bad day. This is an example of________.

a. fundamental attribution error b. b. confirmation bias
c. self-serving bias
d. halo effect

Answer 1

The situation described is an example of the fundamental attribution error, where the customer overestimates the clerk's personality traits as being mean without considering situational factors like having a bad day.

Step-by-step explanation:

This scenario where the customer assumes the salesman is a mean person based on one interaction, without considering the possibility that the clerk could be having a bad day, is an example of the fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error is a concept in social psychology where people tend to overemphasize personality traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior. In the case mentioned, the customer overlooks the possible situational influences like the clerk having a bad day and quickly jumps to the conclusion about the clerk's personality.