People often over-estimate the annual number of deaths in plane crashes, compared to the much more numerous car-accident deaths. Jackie agrees and says it's because people are more used to seeing reports of plane accidents and thus it is more salient than reports on car accidents. Jackie is referring to
A) The availability heuristic
B) The anchoring heuristic
C) The discounting of base-rate heuristic
D) The belief perseverance bias

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic refers to the tendency for people to rely on information that is easily available in their memory when making judgments or decisions. In this case, people are more likely to remember and be influenced by news reports of plane crashes because they stand out as rare and dramatic events, while car accidents are more common and thus less memorable. This leads people to overestimate the frequency of plane crashes relative to car accidents.

People Often Over-Estimate the Annual Number of Deaths in Plane