Jason flips a coin one hundred times, and it comes up heads every time. Jason predicts that the next flip of the coin is highly likely to yield tails because that outcome is long overdue. Jason is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jason's reasoning is flawed because each coin flip is an independent event, meaning the outcome of one flip does not affect the outcome of the next. This misconception is known as the gambler's fallacy, which is the belief that if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future, or vice versa. Additionally, his prediction shows a lack of understanding of basic probability principles, which state that the probability of flipping heads or tails is always 50/50, regardless of previous outcomes.

Jason Flips a Coin One Hundred Times, and It Comes