A tendency to notice threats and to interpret other people's behavior as intended to cause harm is called
A) hostile instrumentality.
B) self-serving bias.
C) defensive attributional style.
D) threat monitoring.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is known as defensive attributional style, which is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to attribute negative events to external causes, like other people's behavior, rather than internal causes. In other words, they blame outside factors for negative events, rather than taking responsibility themselves. This can manifest as a tendency to perceive others as being hostile or intending to cause harm.

A Tendency to Notice Threats and to Interpret Other People's