Question 1

The value of making a good first impression when you begin work for a new employer is best underscored by the research on

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance is the phenomenon where people hold onto their beliefs even when confronted with evidence that contradicts those beliefs. Making a good first impression is crucial because once an employer forms an opinion about you, it can be very difficult to change their mind due to belief perseverance. This underscores the importance of making a positive impact right from the start.

Question 2

When Quang couldn't find his wallet,he began to wonder about his roommate's honesty.Although Quang later recalled that he had left his wallet in the glove compartment of his car,he continued to doubt his roommate's honesty.Quang's irrational thinking best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Quang's continued doubt of his roommate's honesty, even after finding his wallet and having no evidence against his roommate, illustrates belief perseverance. This is the tendency to cling to one's initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts or disproves it.

Question 3

Stockbrokers who market their services with the confidence that they can outperform the market average in picking stocks are especially likely to

Accepted Answer

Stockbrokers who market their services with the confidence that they can outperform the market average in picking stocks are likely to appear competent to their customers. This may lead customers to choose them over other brokers who are less confident in their abilities. However, whether or not these brokers actually do outperform the market average is a different story.

Question 4

The vivid memories of the 9/11 terrorist tragedy unduly inflated many people's estimates of the risks associated with air travel.This best illustrates the importance of

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the cognitive bias in which people estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. The vivid memories of the 9/11 terrorist tragedy would make people more likely to overestimate the risks of air travel, even though statistically, it remains one of the safest modes of transportation.

Question 5

Stockbrokers often believe that their own expertise will enable them to select stocks that will outperform the market average.This belief best illustrates

Accepted Answer

This is an example of overconfidence bias, where individuals overestimate their abilities to make accurate predictions or judgments. Stockbrokers believing they can select stocks that outperform the market average is an example of this bias.

Question 6

When Larina started college,she was certain that she would never smoke marijuana.By the end of her freshman year,however,Larina had used the drug on three different occasions.Larina's experience best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Larina's initial certainty that she would never smoke marijuana, followed by her eventual use of the drug, illustrates overconfidence. Overconfidence refers to the overestimation of one's own accuracy, abilities, or control in a given situation. Larina was overconfident in her belief that she would never engage in that behavior.

Question 7

Wording a question or presenting an issue in such a way that it evokes a desired judgment is called

Accepted Answer

Framing is the use of specific language or context to influence the way people think about an issue or make a judgment. It can be a powerful tool in shaping opinions and decision-making processes. Confirmation bias and belief perseverance are related concepts in which an individual seeks out information that confirms their existing beliefs and disregards information that contradicts them. An algorithm is a set of instructions for solving a problem or completing a task, and is not directly related to the way information is presented or perceived.

Question 8

Believing we'll surely have more money next year,we take out loans or buy on credit.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The planning fallacy refers to the tendency to underestimate the time, costs, and resources required to complete a project or achieve a goal. In this scenario, the planning fallacy explains why we may take out loans or buy on credit, believing that we will have more money in the future to pay them off. We assume that our financial situation will improve, but we may not have considered all the factors that could affect it.

Question 9

We tend to NOT fear events that can be considered

Accepted Answer

Ongoing threats often become normalized over time, leading to a phenomenon known as "threat fatigue," where people become desensitized to the danger and thus fear it less.

Question 10

Underestimating the time and cost necessary to complete a project best demonstrates

Accepted Answer

The planning fallacy is the tendency to underestimate the time and cost required to complete a project, leading to delays and budget overruns. This is a common bias in human thinking, which can be addressed by using data and past experience to make more accurate predictions.

Question 11

Using beliefs to assess evidence,rather than using evidence to draw conclusions,is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Motivated reasoning is the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or biases, rather than using evidence to draw conclusions objectively. This can lead individuals to view evidence selectively or to dismiss information that contradicts their beliefs. The other answer choices are related to cognitive biases but do not specifically refer to the use of beliefs to assess evidence.

Question 12

Overconfidence refers to the tendency to

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence refers to the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments, and to ignore or underestimate evidence to the contrary. This can lead to errors in reasoning and decision making.

Question 13

The risks of smoking are more alarming when presented in terms of the number of smokers with lung cancer than the percentage of smokers with lung cancer.This illustrates the importance of

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the concept of framing, where the way in which information is presented can influence how it is perceived and interpreted. By presenting the risk in terms of the number of smokers with lung cancer, rather than as a percentage, it highlights the tangible and significant impact that smoking can have on individuals. This framing may be more effective in motivating individuals to quit smoking or deter non-smokers from starting.

Question 14

An unwillingness to give up our beliefs even when the evidence proves us wrong is called

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance refers to the tendency to hold on to our beliefs even when contrary evidence is presented. This helps explain why people can be resistant to changing their viewpoints, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The other choices - availability heuristic, trial and error, and confirmation bias - do not specifically refer to this phenomenon.

Question 15

Research findings suggest that the best advice to give people who want to avoid belief perseverance is

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that asking people to consider the opposite of their beliefs can help them avoid belief perseverance. This technique helps individuals to generate counterarguments and see other perspectives, which can reduce the impact of confirmation bias and help them arrive at more accurate conclusions.

Question 16

A single,memorable case of welfare fraud can have a greater impact on people's estimates of welfare abuse than do statistics showing that this case is actually the exception to the rule.This illustrates that judgments are influenced by

Accepted Answer

The scenario described in the question is an example of the availability heuristic, which refers to our tendency to overestimate the frequency or likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. In this case, the memorable case of welfare fraud is more vivid and salient than statistics showing that it is rare, leading people to overestimate the prevalence of welfare abuse. Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs, and belief perseverance is the tendency to cling to our beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence. Overconfidence refers to our tendency to overestimate our own abilities or judgment. While these cognitive biases may also influence people's judgments in various situations, they are not the most relevant to the scenario described.

Question 17

People with a superficial understanding of proposals for political change often express excessively strong pro or con views.This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence refers to the tendency of individuals to hold a stronger belief in their judgments or decisions than is justified by the evidence or their actual understanding. In this context, people expressing excessively strong views on political change proposals, despite having only a superficial understanding, exemplifies overconfidence in their own knowledge or insight.

Question 18

People with opposing views of the death penalty reviewed mixed evidence regarding whether it is effective in lowering the crime rate.As a result,their opposing views differed more strongly than ever.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance refers to the tendency to cling to one's initial beliefs even after they have been discredited, and this is precisely what is happening in this scenario. When people encounter mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of the death penalty in reducing crime, those who support the death penalty may become even more convinced that it works while those who oppose the death penalty may become even more convinced that it is ineffective. This is because people tend to selectively search for and interpret information in a way that supports their existing beliefs, which leads them to reject evidence that contradicts their beliefs.

Question 19

On Monday,the meteorologist forecast a 20 percent chance of rain,so Sheryl took her umbrella to work.On Friday,he reported an 80 percent chance that it would not rain,so Sheryl left her umbrella at home.Sheryl's behavior illustrates the effect of

Accepted Answer

Sheryl's behavior shows the effect of framing, where the presentation of information (the chances of rain) was different on Monday (20% chance of rain) and Friday (80% chance of not raining), which influenced her decision to take or leave her umbrella.

Question 20

One reason people fear flying more than driving is that the two activities involve differences in

Accepted Answer

People often feel more in control when driving a car because they are the ones in control of the vehicle's movements. When flying, passengers have to trust the pilots and airline crew to safely operate the plane, which can lead to a perceived lack of control and increase in fear or anxiety.

Quiz 26: Storage: Retaining Information