Maritza is always ready to retaliate. When she drops her cell phone and a student walking by accidently kicks it, she assumes he kicked it on purpose. She yells at him and slugs him. Maritza is displaying which of the following?

a. instrumental aggression

b. hostile attribution bias

c. coercive family cycle

d. bullying

The correct answer is b.

Explanation:

Hostile attribution bias is defined as a cognitive bias indicating a devaluation of the value and motives of others, an expectation that others are wrong, a prospect of being in opposition to others, and a desire to inflict harm or see others as harmfu, that is, hostile attributions are the beliefs that the antagonistic behavior of others is directed specifically towards oneself, when these actions are ambiguous.