Judging a sick person shivering from a fever as being like a person who is shivering from the cold is using:
A) the availability heuristic in an effective way.
B) the anchoring and adjustment heuristic in an inappropriate way.
C) the representativeness heuristic in an appropriate way.
D) a homeopathic cure in a way that will likely help the person.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The person is using the representativeness heuristic, which is a mental shortcut that involves placing a person or object into a category based on how similar it is to a prototype of that category. In this case, the sick person is being categorized as someone who is cold and shivering, because that is a common stereotype. While this may not be an accurate assessment of the situation, it is a quick and easy way to make sense of what is happening.

Judging a Sick Person Shivering from a Fever as Being