Research indicates that people who watch a lot of violence on television tend to perceive the world around them as a meaner and more dangerous place than do people who watch little violence on television.This tendency is best explained by the ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic 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. In this case, frequent exposure to violence on television makes violent events more readily available in viewers' minds, leading them to overestimate the prevalence of violence in the real world.

Research Indicates That People Who Watch a Lot of Violence