When Gene is at a convenience store, he witnesses a robbery and hides behind a large display to avoid being victimized. Later he tells the police that he thinks that an African American woman was the culprit, and he points to the woman talking to a police officer on the other side of the parking lot. He doesn't realize that she actually owns the store and was working stocking a shelf near where the robbery occurred. Gene's memory that the woman was there but failure to recognize the circumstances under which he saw her is called the ____ bias.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gene's mistake is due to the familiarity-induced bias, where he recognizes the woman because he saw her during the robbery but incorrectly associates her presence with being the perpetrator rather than recognizing her actual role as the store owner. This bias involves misattributing the source of familiarity or recognition.

When Gene Is at a Convenience Store, He Witnesses a Robbery