Lately, Bonnie has seen a number of vivid images of plane crashes on the news, and she swears she will never fly again for fear of her own safety. Bonnie says she will just drive wherever she needs to go. Knowing that far more fatalities are caused by car accidents than plane crashes, psychologists would say Bonnie's incorrect logic is based on __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bonnie's decision is influenced by the availability heuristic, which is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision. The vivid images of plane crashes she has seen on the news make her overestimate the risks of flying, despite statistical evidence that driving is more dangerous.

Lately, Bonnie Has Seen a Number of Vivid Images of Plane