Question 1

Which of the following is an example of base-rate information?

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information refers to the general prevalence of a particular characteristic or event within a population. Option A provides information about the population size and the number of rare kwiny bugs, which is an example of base-rate information. The other options do not provide any information about the prevalence of kwiny bugs in a population.

Question 2

A radar operator is trying to determine whether something on the screen is a hawk or a missile.Before deciding,the operator should consider which of the two is more common.In other words,the operator should consider

Accepted Answer

The operator should consider base-rate information, which refers to how often each of the two possibilities, hawks or missiles, typically occur. This will help the operator make a more accurate decision based on probability.

Question 3

The tendency to assume that if an item is similar to members of a particular category,it is probably a member of that category itself,is known as the

Accepted Answer

The tendency to assume that if an item is similar to members of a particular category, it is probably a member of that category itself, is known as the representativeness heuristic. This heuristic can lead to errors in judgment, as it ignores important information about base rates and probability.

Question 4

Zeke sees someone at the grocery store who looks like a famous movie actor.He assumes it really is the actor and overlooks the fact that about 1% of all adult men look a little like that actor.What error has Zeke made?

Accepted Answer

Zeke has failed to consider the base-rate information, which is the statistical information that a small percentage of adult men may look like the famous actor. Zeke instead relied on the availability heuristic, which is the mental shortcut of making assumptions based on the immediate examples that come to mind (in this case, the resemblance to the actor). However, this cognitive bias can lead to inaccurate conclusions if the individual does not consider the broader context or background information. The Stroop effect is a different phenomenon related to selective attention and interference in processing conflicting information. The use of cognitive maps refers to the mental representation of physical spaces or environments, and is not applicable to this scenario.

Question 5

People who rely on the representativeness heuristic tend to overlook which kind of information?

Accepted Answer

People who rely on the representativeness heuristic tend to overlook base-rate information, which refers to general information about how often things occur in the population. They instead focus on the perceived similarity of an event or object to a particular stereotype or category, which can lead to biased judgments and decisions.

Question 6

Because it is easier to think of words that start with "k" than words that have "k" as the third letter,most people assume that our language has more words starting with "k" than words with "k" in the third position.That kind of reasoning is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the availability heuristic, where people rely on the ease of recalling or generating examples of a particular category rather than actual statistics or data. In this case, it's easier to think of words starting with "k" than words with "k" as the third letter, leading people to assume that there are more words starting with "k."

Question 7

In decision making,__________ means searching only until you find something that is good enough.

Accepted Answer

Satisficing refers to making decisions that are "good enough" or satisfactory, rather than searching for the best possible option. This can be a useful strategy when time is limited, information is incomplete or uncertain, or when there are multiple acceptable options. The other options listed - availability heuristic, representative heuristic, and maximizing - refer to other decision-making strategies but do not specifically involve settling for a satisfactory choice.

Question 8

Base-rate information is information about

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information provides us with the probability or frequency of an event or characteristic within a particular population. It tells us how common or rare something is, and is used to make predictions and decisions.

Question 9

The availability heuristic is based on the assumption that

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the tendency to estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. If we can easily remember a few examples of some event, we may assume that it must be a common event. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 10

Dr.Cutter finds that 90 percent of all people who need brain surgery have dandruff,while only 10 percent of all people with healthy brains have dandruff.He therefore recommends brain surgery for everyone with dandruff.What error is he making?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Cutter is making the error of not considering the base-rate information. Although 90 percent of people who need brain surgery have dandruff, it's essential to know the overall percentage of people who have dandruff in the population. Just because there is a high correlation between two variables (dandruff and brain surgery), it does not necessarily mean they are causally related. Therefore, it is not reasonable to recommend brain surgery to everyone with dandruff.

Question 11

In decision making,__________ means thoroughly considering every possibility to find the best one.

Accepted Answer

Maximizing refers to thoroughly considering every possibility to find the best one. This involves evaluating all available options and selecting the one that maximizes the likelihood of achieving one's goal. The other options listed do not involve thorough consideration of all possibilities. The availability heuristic involves relying on the most easily available information to make a decision. The representative heuristic involves making a decision based on how well it fits with our preconceived notions and stereotypes. Satisficing involves settling for a solution that is "good enough" rather than striving for the best possible outcome.

Question 12

Someone who overlooks base-rate information is likely to make which kind of error?

Accepted Answer

Overlooking base-rate information happens when a person focuses too much on specific, individual characteristics or details and ignores more general, background data. This often leads to identifying a common event as if it were some other, rare event. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 13

People sometimes form a stereotype about members of a certain group because they remember a few people who fit the stereotype and forget those who do not fit it.Reasoning of this type is an example of the

Accepted Answer

The given scenario best describes the availability heuristic, which is a mental shortcut where we make judgments based on information that comes to mind easily, even if it's not representative of the entire group or situation. In this case, the few people who fit the stereotype are more memorable and easily brought to mind, leading to the formation of the stereotype.

Question 14

The term "base-rate information" refers to information about

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information refers to how common or rare something is in a population. It is not related to the percentage of available information supporting a theory, performance on a task, or the relationship between learning and performance.

Question 15

Most people tend to consider themselves better than average,or at least average,drivers.We do so because when we think of other drivers we most easily remember unusually bad drivers,and compare ourselves to them.In other words,we make a decision based on

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the cognitive bias that leads people to judge the likelihood or importance of an event based on how easily an example, instance, or case comes to mind. In this case, when people assess their driving skills, they tend to rely on their immediate memory of other drivers, particularly those who display very poor driving behavior or those who have caused accidents or other traffic incidents. As a result, people tend to overestimate their driving abilities and safety, because they compare themselves to a biased or unrepresentative sample.

Question 16

You know there are only two librarians who live in your town of 10,000 people.However,when you meet a quiet young woman who likes to read,you decide she is probably a librarian.In your thinking you are relying on

Accepted Answer

The person is using the representativeness heuristic, which is a mental shortcut where we make judgments about people or situations based on how closely they resemble the typical stereotype of that category. In this case, the person is assuming the woman is a librarian because she fits the stereotype of someone who likes to read and is quiet, even though there may be other reasons why she might fit this description.

Question 17

All of the following are situations when it would be appropriate to use a heuristic EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The answer of All of the following are situations when...

Question 18

Someone sees a strange-looking flying object.It might be a white pelican,or it might be a UFO from outer space.The viewer decides that it is a UFO.Assuming that it really was a pelican,which mistake of reasoning has the viewer made?

Accepted Answer

The viewer failed to consider base-rate information, which involves neglecting the relative frequency of different events in decision-making. In this case, the viewer did not consider how much more likely it is to see a bird (like a pelican) than a UFO.

Question 19

Audrey sees someone sitting in a fast-food restaurant who looks like the President of the United States.Before she goes over to ask for an autograph and offer her advice on the world situation,she should consider the base-rate information.That is,she should consider

Accepted Answer

Considering the base-rate information, Audrey should consider how many other people look like the President of the United States. This is because the probability of finding the actual President in a fast-food restaurant is very low, and there could be other people who look similar to him. Therefore, she should consider the base-rate information before approaching the person.

Question 20

You are quite sure that it rains every time you wash your car.In fact,this is probably not true,but it is most related to which heuristic?

Accepted Answer

This is most related to the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to rely on readily available information (in this case, personal experience) rather than considering all relevant factors. The person may remember instances when it rained after washing their car, but is likely not taking into account all the times it did not rain after washing their car.

Quiz 8: Cognition and Language