Question 1

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 reasoning described is an example of the availability heuristic, which is when people rely on information that comes to mind easily (in this case, the few people who fit the stereotype).

Question 2

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.

Question 3

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 fact that only about 1% of all adult men look like the famous movie actor. Zeke has relied on the representativeness heuristic, which is the tendency to ignore base-rate information and make judgments based on similarity to a prototype (in this case, the movie actor).

Question 4

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

The reasoning described is an example of the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to make judgments based on the ease with which examples come to mind. In this case, it is easier to think of words starting with "k," so people assume there are more of them than there actually are.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Overlooking base-rate information means ignoring or underestimating the likelihood of a common event occurring. This can lead to identifying a common event as if it were a rare event, which is the error described in option D.

Question 6

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. This information would help her assess the likelihood of this person actually being the president and avoid making a mistake by approaching the wrong person. Therefore, option D is the best choice. Options A and B are not relevant to the situation, and option C is only a minor concern compared to the likelihood of mistaking the person's identity.

Question 7

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 a cognitive bias where people make decisions based on easily available or memorable information. In this case, people remember bad drivers more easily, leading them to believe that they are better than average.

Question 8

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 9

Base-rate information is information about

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information refers to the general frequency or prevalence of a phenomenon or behavior in a particular population. It is important in decision-making and avoiding biases, as it provides context for evaluating the significance of individual cases. Options A, C, and D do not accurately describe base-rate information.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Maximizing involves exploring all options and thoroughly considering each possibility before making a decision. This leads to a more informed and optimal decision. The other options (availability heuristic, representative heuristic, satisficing) do not involve exploring all possibilities, and may lead to suboptimal decisions.

Question 11

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 is information about the frequency or probability of events or characteristics in a population. In this case, the operator should consider which is more common between a hawk and a missile before making a decision.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information refers to general or background knowledge about a particular population, such as the number or proportion of individuals that belong to a certain category or group. In this case, option A provides information about the population of mosquitoes and rare kwiny bugs, which is a form of base-rate information. Option B provides a description of the appearance of the kwiny bug but does not provide any information about the population as a whole. Option C provides information about the relative speed of the mosquito and kwiny bug, but again does not provide any data about the population. Option D only provides information about a specific specimen and does not relate to the overall population.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Satisficing is the practice of searching for options until an option is found that meets an acceptable level of satisfaction, rather than exhaustively reviewing all possible options. Maximizing, on the other hand, involves exploring all options and selecting the best one. The availability heuristic and representative heuristic are cognitive biases that can influence decision-making processes. Therefore, the best choice for this question is A) satisficing.

Question 14

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 an error of not considering base-rate information. Just because dandruff is prevalent among 90% of people who need brain surgery does not mean that everyone with dandruff needs brain surgery. The base rate of the general population with dandruff is not taken into consideration, and this information is crucial to making a correct diagnosis.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information provides information about how rare or common something is. It is not related to the percentage of available information supporting a theory, one's ability to perform a task, or the relationship between learning and performance.

Question 16

The availability heuristic is based on the assumption that

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is based on the idea that if we can easily recall or remember instances of an event, we assume that the event must be common or likely to occur. Therefore, Choice D, "if we can easily remember a few examples of some event, then it must be a common event," is the best choice. The other choices do not accurately describe the availability heuristic.

Question 17

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 is statistical information about the likelihood of an event or characteristic occurring in a certain population. Instead, they focus on the similarity between the event or characteristic and their mental prototype or stereotype of that category. This can lead to errors in judgment and decision-making.

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

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 representativeness heuristic is a mental shortcut where we make judgments based on how well an event or person fits our preconceived stereotypes or prototypes. In this case, the person's interest in reading may fit our prototype of a librarian, leading us to assume she is one.

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 easily remembered or readily available information when making judgments or decisions. In this case, the person is relying on their personal experience (the times it rained after they washed their car) rather than considering other possible factors that could influence whether or not it rains.

Quiz 8: Cognition and Language