Witnesses to the sniper attacks in Maryland and Virginia describe seeing a white work van in the vicinity of the incidents.These descriptions lead police,investigators,and citizens to try to solve the problem (i.e.,find the killers)based on this information.Because the snipers actually drove a dark sedan,they are able to continue their terrible deeds longer.The people trying to solve the crime are operating under ____.
A) a mental set
B) analogical thinking
C) functional fixedness
D) neural networks

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A mental set is a tendency to approach a problem in a particular way based on a previous successful solution. In this case, the witnesses and investigators were focused on finding a white work van and did not consider the possibility of a dark sedan, which allowed the snipers to continue their attacks longer.

Witnesses to the Sniper Attacks in Maryland and Virginia Describe