Question 1

Before reading about a depressed individual, participants are told that the case is not at all typical. This instruction will

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

In using the representativeness heuristic, participants

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic involves assuming that all instances of a category resemble the prototype for that category. Participants use this heuristic to make judgments based on how well the object or situation matches their expectations or beliefs about the category, without necessarily considering other relevant factors. Therefore, choice C is the best answer as it accurately describes the essence of the representativeness heuristic.

Question 3

Human judgment is bound to be subjective and contain at least a few errors because

Accepted Answer

Memories can be distorted and manipulated, leading to errors in judgment. Additionally, individual biases and perspectives also impact subjective judgments made by humans. While evolution may have favored individuals who made fewer mistakes, it does not eliminate the possibility of errors in judgment entirely.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of the gambler's fallacy?

Accepted Answer

The statement "I've gotten a low number the last eight times I've rolled the dice, so a high number is coming up soon!" is an example of the gambler's fallacy, which states that if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future (and vice versa). However, in reality, each roll of the dice is independent and the previous outcomes have no impact on future outcomes.

Question 5

The term "covariation" refers to

Accepted Answer

Covariation refers to the tendency in a pattern of data for observations of one sort to be linked to observations of another sort. It is a statistical concept that involves examining how one variable changes in relation to another variable. It does not necessarily imply a cause-and-effect relationship between the two variables.

Question 6

An employer interviews a job candidate for 15 minutes. On the basis of this interview, the employer decides that the candidate will perform well in the job, so he hires her. This is a case of a

Accepted Answer

Making a decision about job performance based on a 15-minute interview is a potential error because it assumes that a small sample of information is representative of a broader pattern of job performance. This is known as the "halo effect," where a positive impression in one area (the interview) leads to an overall positive evaluation of the person's abilities. However, research has shown that interview performance is only weakly predictive of actual job performance. Therefore, relying solely on the interview to make a hiring decision is not a sound practice.

Question 7

Many of us overestimate our own popularity. This could be because we surround ourselves with people who like us, rather than with people who do not. Therefore, it is easier for us to think of the names of people who like us than it is to think of the names of our enemies. This overestimation of popularity seems to derive from using

Accepted Answer

The overestimation of popularity is based on the availability heuristic, where people tend to rely on easily available information (in this case the names of people who like us) to make judgments or estimations.

Question 8

The availability heuristic is a strategy in which

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic involves making judgments based on the ease with which examples come to mind. This means that people tend to overestimate the frequency of categories that are most easily brought to mind.

Question 9

Tony is trying to decide which flavor of gelato his wife would like best. She has never had gelato before, so Tony bases his decision on her favorite kind of ice cream. Tony is using a(n) ________ to make his decision.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tony is trying to decide which flavor...

Question 10

Participants are told, "Hospital A has an average of 45 births per day; Hospital B has an average of only 15 births per day." The participants are then asked, "Which hospital is more likely to have a day in which at least 60% of the babies born are female?" In answering the question, participants

Accepted Answer

The answer of Participants are told, "Hospital A has an...

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT an example of a frequency judgment?

Accepted Answer

A frequency judgment is a statement about how often something occurs or how common it is. Option B is a statement of certainty or belief and does not involve frequency. Options A, C, and D all involve frequency judgments.

Question 12

In several studies, participants have been asked to estimate the frequency of occurrence for various causes of death. The evidence suggests that participants' frequency estimates are strongly influenced by

Accepted Answer

The evidence suggests that participants' frequency estimates are strongly influenced by how often the cause of death is discussed in the news media. This is often referred to as the availability heuristic, in which people rely on the most readily available information to make judgments about frequency or probability.

Question 13

"I can easily think of the names of several dishonest politicians, so I'm certain there are a lot of dishonest politicians!" This is an example of a judgment relying on

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the availability heuristic, which occurs when people judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. In this case, the ease with which the names of dishonest politicians come to mind leads the person to believe that there must be many dishonest politicians. However, this judgment may be biased by factors such as media coverage, personal biases, and other factors that influence which politicians are most easily recalled.

Question 14

In one experiment, participants were asked to list either 6 or 12 instances in their lives when they were assertive. Which of the following statements is FALSE about the participants who were asked to list only 6 instances?

Accepted Answer

Participants who were asked to list only 6 instances generally rated themselves as more assertive, not less. This is because they found it easier to come up with 6 instances, which likely made them feel that being assertive was a common behavior for them.

Question 15

In one study, participants were shown a film about a family on welfare and then asked for their opinions about welfare. Prior to viewing the film, half of the participants were told that the film showed a highly unusual case. The other participants were told that the film showed a quite typical case. After viewing the film, participants were asked their opinions about welfare. On the basis of other evidence, we would expect to find that

Accepted Answer

The answer of In one study, participants were shown a...

Question 16

When we encounter a highly unusual event, we are particularly likely to notice and consider the event. As a consequence

Accepted Answer

The highly unusual event will stick out in our memory and be easily recalled, leading us to overestimate the likelihood of this type of event. This is known as the availability heuristic, where the ease with which something comes to mind influences our perception of its frequency or likelihood.

Question 17

Heuristics are strategies that

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are shortcuts or rules of thumb that help individuals make decisions or judgments quickly and efficiently. However, these strategies may not always be accurate and can lead to errors. For example, the availability heuristic, which involves making judgments based on the ease with which relevant examples come to mind, can result in overestimating the frequency of events that are particularly memorable or vivid, such as airplane crashes. While heuristics can be beneficial in many situations, it is important to recognize their limitations and potential for error.

Question 18

Megan cannot sleep at night because she is terribly worried about being robbed, which is highly unlikely. As her friend, you want to help her by describing judgment errors and why she should not lose any more sleep. Which concept is NOT contributing to her irrational fear?

Accepted Answer

The other three concepts (base rates, availability heuristic, and memory bias) could contribute to Megan's irrational fear by making her overestimate the likelihood of getting robbed. However, underestimating the sample size for the number of robbers in the world would not contribute to this fear, as knowing the exact number of robbers in the world would not necessarily have any impact on the likelihood of Megan getting robbed.

Question 19

Reasoning from "man who" arguments is usually inappropriate because generalizing from a single case is justified only

Accepted Answer

The answer of Reasoning from "man who" arguments is usually...

Question 20

The availability heuristic

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the tendency to estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind. While it can lead to incorrect estimates (such as in the case of salient but rare events), it often leads to correct estimates because events that are more frequent or more impactful are likely to be more easily remembered and salient in memory.

Quiz 12: Judgment and Reasoning