Which bias leads us to view future actions of a person negatively due to previous bad experiences?

• A. Affinity Bias
• B. Horn Effect
• C. Confirmation Bias
• D. Attribution Error

Answer: (B)

The Horn Effect is the bias that causes individuals to form negative impressions of a person based on previous unfavorable experiences. This cognitive bias leads us to generalize and perceive a person's future actions or characteristics negatively simply because of past events that did not meet our expectations or were unfavorable. As a result, one perceives a person through a skewed lens influenced by their prior negative interactions rather than assessing their later behavior on its own merits.

The other biases mentioned do not specifically relate to how past negative experiences affect perceptions of future actions. Affinity Bias refers to the tendency to favor people we perceive as similar to ourselves, which does not involve previous negative experiences. Confirmation Bias is the inclination to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs, rather than focusing on past actions. Attribution Error pertains to the tendency to attribute others' actions to their character rather than external factors, but it does not specifically address the influence of past negative experiences on future judgments. Thus, the Horn Effect most accurately describes the phenomenon outlined in the question.