After tossing a nickel in the air 6 times and having it land showing "heads," Nick decided his odds were best that the nickel would land showing "tails" the next time. However, Nick failed to realize his odds were still 50-50. This is an example of a(n) __________
A) representativeness heuristic.
B) availability heuristic.
C) exemplar.
D) additive strategy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of the representativeness heuristic, where Nick assumes that the pattern he observed in the past (heads appearing 6 times in a row) will continue in the future and influence the outcome of the next coin toss, even though each coin toss is independent and has a 50-50 chance of landing on either heads or tails regardless of previous outcomes.

After Tossing a Nickel in the Air 6 Times and Having