Even though it was clear that another student, Raul, accidentally pushed Noah, Noah insisted that Raul did it on purpose. What phenomenon is this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as hostile attributional bias, which refers to the tendency to interpret ambiguous actions from others as being intentionally directed towards oneself, rather than considering alternative explanations such as accident or coincidence. In this case, Noah's interpretation of Raul's accidental push as intentional reflects his own bias towards assuming hostility from others.

Even Though It Was Clear That Another Student, Raul, Accidentally