You walk into your classroom just as the class before yours is getting out. You notice two people standing by lectern at the front of the classroom: a 50-year old man and a 26-year old woman. You assume the man is the instructor and the woman is the student because most of your professors are older men. This is an example of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observer is making a judgment based on the stereotypical representation of a professor being an older male. This is an example of the representativeness heuristic, where a person makes a judgment based on how well something fits a certain prototype or stereotype.

You Walk into Your Classroom Just as the Class Before