Cierra and Emily went to a local tennis court, only to find two other women who also wanted to use the court. The women decided to play doubles together, and Cierra picked the woman with the most expensive-looking tennis racket as her partner. The woman with the expensive racket ended up missing many more shots than her friend. The unwarranted assumption that Cierra made was:
A) both players would be equally motivated to win.
B) people with more expensive-looking rackets are better tennis players.
C) Emily was better at picking potential teammates than she was.
D) people who go to local tennis courts differ in their abilities.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cierra assumed that the woman with the expensive racket was a better player solely based on the appearance of her equipment. This is an example of the halo effect, which is the tendency to believe that one positive characteristic implies the presence of other positive characteristics. It is not necessarily true that people with expensive-looking rackets are better tennis players.

Cierra and Emily Went to a Local Tennis Court, Only