Final answer:
Albert Ellis would attribute the man's anger to irrational beliefs rather than to the external event of stepping on gum.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Albert Ellis, the man's anger resulting from stepping on a huge wad of gum and kicking his car is primarily due to irrational beliefs. Albert Ellis, a prominent psychologist, is known for developing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which posits that it is not the external events themselves that cause emotions like anger but rather the beliefs and interpretations an individual has about those events. In this scenario, Ellis would suggest that the man's anger is not a direct consequence of the annoying event (stepping on gum), but rather it is the result of his beliefs about the event, such as thinking that it should not have happened or that it is horrible and unbearable.