Question

when mr. peterson first met his teenaged granddaughter, he thought she was self - centered and silly. after spending more time with her, however, he now thinks she is a great person. this is an example of the:
a. scapegoat theory.
b. mere exposure effect.
c. cognitive dissonance.
d. fundamental attribution error.

Explanation:

The mere exposure effect refers to the tendency for people to develop a preference for things (or people) simply because they are familiar with them due to repeated exposure. In this case, Mr. Peterson's positive change in perception of his granddaughter came from spending more time (repeated exposure) with her. The scapegoat theory involves blaming others for problems, cognitive dissonance is about conflicting beliefs/attitudes, and fundamental attribution error is about overemphasizing internal factors when explaining others' behavior—none of these match the scenario as well as the mere exposure effect.

Answer:

B. mere exposure effect.