What type of reasoning error is the employee making by blaming their boss for not receiving a promotion?

The employee is demonstrating rationalization by blaming their boss for not receiving a promotion. This reasoning error involves providing excuses for one's failures or shortcomings, often to alleviate feelings of guilt or inadequacy. By attributing the lack of a promotion to the boss's actions or perceived biases, the employee may be avoiding personal accountability or the possibility that other factors, such as their own performance or qualifications, contributed to the decision. This defense mechanism allows the individual to maintain a positive self-image while shifting responsibility away from themselves.

In contrast, other reasoning errors listed do not fit this scenario as closely. For example, prejudice involves an unjustified negative attitude towards a person or group, which does not apply when discussing the promotion context. Causal oversimplification occurs when one assumes a single cause for a complex issue; while there may be elements of this in the employee's reasoning, it is more closely related to rationalization. Finally, conservatism in reasoning refers to a tendency to favor existing beliefs or theories over new evidence, which is not directly relevant to the situation of blaming a boss for a promotion decision.