One day, Professor Burns came into class and put his briefcase onto the desk in the front of the room. The desk promptly fell apart and the briefcase tumbled to the floor. Because of perceptual salience, what will students be most likely to think?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Perceptual salience refers to our tendency to place greater emphasis on the most noticeable or striking characteristics of an object or situation when making judgments or attributions. In this scenario, the most noticeable aspect is the fact that the desk fell apart when Professor Burns put his briefcase on it. Therefore, the students are most likely to attribute the cause of the desk falling apart to Professor Burns, leading to choice A as the best answer.

One Day, Professor Burns Came into Class and Put His