Nu Chu is at the airport to pick up a professor who is going to give a talk in the Psychology Department's speaker series at her college. Based on the representativeness heuristic, which person would she be MOST likely to approach?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic is a mental shortcut that involves making a probability judgment by comparing an object or person to a prototype of the object or person. In the context of picking up a professor for a Psychology Department's speaker series, Nu Chu is likely to approach the person who most closely matches her prototype of a professor. An older man in a tweed sport coat fits the stereotypical image of a professor more closely than the other options, making it the choice she would most likely make based on the representativeness heuristic.

Nu Chu Is at the Airport to Pick Up a Professor