Is this similar to what Whit calls "conviction"?

A story.

I learned a bit about applied attention management while driving my car. I'm a defensive driver. When I'm driving, I mainly watch the car in front of me. I don't follow too closely because I know better. I know that if I rear-end someone, it's my fault no matter what. I don't ever want this type of action logged on my car insurance records.

One fall day around 6:00 p.m. while driving, the tail lights on the car in front of me came on. Being the defensive driver I am, I reacted by putting my foot on the brake pedal and slowing down so as to maintain a safe distance between us. While I braked, the car in front moved forward at an amazing rate. I asked myself, "How is is this guy driving? Is he using both feet? Does he have one foot on the gas and one on the brake? Is he Sammy Hagar??"

It took me a minute to figure out what happened. This is how I see assumptions and their application to magic.

How about this then?

I bought a super bounce ball for my son from a machine at the arcade but I think we got gyped. See? (klunk!) It's a dud. It doesn't bounce at all. I tried to get my money back from the arcade attendent, but he just wouldn't stop laughing. See? (klunk!) No Bounce. Pretty funny, eh? You expect a super bounce ball but instead we get this. (klunk!) Nothing!

Well, rather than see my son bummed out, I decided to use magic instead, and I did this. (Wave hand over klunker) Now I think it will work just fine! ("Zowee!",said my son, as the ball bounced off the ceiling...)