Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows. As Simon passed by a homeless man at the traffic light, he immediately locked the door to his car, thinking to himself that the man was probably a criminal. Simon also refuses to give money to homeless individuals because he feels that they are to be blamed for their conditions. Based on this information, Simon is most likely demonstrating __________.

The just-world phenomenon is the belief that people generally get what they deserve. Simon assumes the homeless man is a criminal and blames homeless individuals for their circumstances, suggesting he thinks they are responsible for their situation. In-group bias concerns favoring one’s own group, while scapegoating and cognitive dissonance do not best describe this pattern.

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