Table 3.2 William and Malcolm Are Interviewing High School Students for Jobs

Multiple Choice

Table 3.2
William and Malcolm are interviewing high school students for jobs at a newly opened fast food restaurant. William knows his first interviewee; he coached him on the local community softball team. William doesn't expect the interview to go well or to hire the young man because he wasn't very open to advice when he was coached. Malcolm's first candidate is late and runs up disheveled and out of breath. Malcolm assumes the young man had difficulty on his way to the interview and gives him time to calm down and improve his appearance. Several hours into the process William is interviewing his 20th candidate, Jane. When she sits down she drops into her seat, folds her arms, and pinches her lips together. She's wearing a T-shirt with the image and name of a local heavy metal band on it. William prepares himself for a hostile and unfriendly interview but is surprised that after the first couple of questions Jane turns out to be quite polite and friendly. Malcolm's last candidate is friendly, has similar interests to Malcolm and knows several of the people Malcolm knows in the community. Malcolm comments to William as they are picking up their files, "That kid reminds me of me when I was 17."
-Refer to Table 3.2. Even though Malcolm gave the young man the benefit of the doubt, Malcolm demonstrated a perceptual bias, because he didn't know why the young man was late. Which perceptual bias does Malcolm demonstrate?

A) Fundamental attribution error
B) Halo effect
C) Similar-to-me effect
D) Selective perception