Question 1

The so-called illusory correlation can most directly help explain ____.

Accepted Answer

Illusory correlation refers to the tendency to perceive a relationship between two variables even when no such relationship exists. This can lead to overestimating the frequency of behaviors, such as assuming minority groups engage in criminal behaviors more than they actually do.

Question 2

You flip a coin 10 times in a row. Every single time it comes up heads. On the 11th flip, is it more likely to be heads, tails, or are heads and tails equally likely? If you are a hot hand player, you will answer ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of You flip a coin 10 times in...

Question 3

Suppose you meet someone who is smart, adventurous, and highly knowledgeable about rockets and outer space. Even though there are not many astronauts in the world, you might immediately assume that this person is an astronaut just because he or she fits your image of what an astronaut is like. That is, you might ____ and rely on the ____.

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes the base rate fallacy, where one ignores statistical information (the low number of astronauts) in favor of stereotypical traits (smart, adventurous, knowledgeable about space). The representativeness heuristic is used when making a judgment based on how much an individual represents a certain category or group, in this case, an astronaut.

Question 4

Research on the anchoring and adjustment heuristic indicates that people ____.

Accepted Answer

Research on the anchoring and adjustment heuristic shows that people often do not adjust enough away from an initial anchor, meaning they stay too close to it even when it might be arbitrary or irrelevant to the decision at hand.

Question 5

Suppose a coin is flipped 20 times. The first 19 flips are all heads. Is the last flip more likely to be heads, more likely to be tails, or equally likely to be heads or tails? According to gambler's fallacy, players ____.

Accepted Answer

According to the gambler's fallacy, players often mistakenly believe that after a series of one outcome, the opposite outcome is "due" to occur, so they might say the last flip is more likely to be tails.

Question 6

The tendency to overestimate the link between variables that are related only slightly or not at all after a single exposure to a group member performing a behavior illustrates the ____.

Accepted Answer

The one-shot illusory correlation refers to the phenomenon where individuals may overestimate the connection between variables that are only slightly related or not related at all, especially after observing a single instance or example. This is distinct from the more general concept of illusory correlation, which doesn't specify the number of observations needed to form the erroneous link.

Question 7

At the end of a swimming competition, Tanya won, Nita is second, and Liza is third. When the medals are being awarded, Nita looks unhappy whereas Tanya and Liza are smiling from ear to ear. Which of the following heuristics is responsible for this observation?

Accepted Answer

The simulation heuristic is responsible for Nita's unhappiness because it involves imagining alternative outcomes. In this case, Nita is likely imagining scenarios where she could have won, leading to her unhappiness despite finishing second.

Question 8

When buying a new car, people tend to look at both statistical information and case history information. Research shows that they tend to be more influenced by ____.

Accepted Answer

Research in psychology and consumer behavior has shown that people are often more influenced by specific, vivid examples (case history information) than by abstract, statistical information, regardless of their prior experience with the product. This is due to the representativeness heuristic, where individuals judge the probability of an event by how much it resembles their existing stereotypes, rather than by considering statistical likelihood.

Question 9

Suppose you meet an old man named Al. You have no idea how old he is. To try to guess his age you start with your grandfather's age (80), and then add on a few years since Al seems to be a little older. That is, you make use of ____.

Accepted Answer

You are using the anchoring and adjustment heuristic by starting with an initial estimate (your grandfather's age) and adjusting from there based on additional information (Al seems a bit older). This is a common cognitive shortcut where an initial reference point (the anchor) significantly influences our decisions and estimates.

Question 10

The automatic system helps people deal with ____.

Accepted Answer

Automatic systems are designed to help manage and process large amounts of information, thereby reducing information overload for users.

Question 11

Elenita is from a relatively sheltered background. When she goes to college, she meets a Hispanic student. This student is the only Hispanic person she has ever known. The student is very independent and outspoken on their first meeting. After that meeting, Elenita decides that Hispanics in general must be independent and outspoken. Elenita's reaction illustrates ____.

Accepted Answer

Elenita's reaction is an example of a one-shot illusory correlation, where she forms a stereotype based on a single encounter, assuming that one experience can represent an entire group.

Question 12

Jules and Jim are reading a book review about a book that both of them have read. Jules hated the book, and seems to feel that the reviewer also hated it. Meanwhile, Jim thought the book was witty and provocative, and he seems to think that the reviewer shares HIS views. It seems as though both Jules and Jim are "seeing" different things when reading the book review. That is, both of them seem to be engaging in the ____.

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. Jules and Jim are interpreting the book review in ways that confirm their own opinions about the book.

Question 13

In a famous early study in social psychology, fans of two rival football teams were asked to watch footage of an actual game that was very close. Researchers found that fans of the two teams literally "saw" different games; things that were deemed "out" by fans of one team, for example, were deemed "in" by fans of the other. This was early evidence of the phenomenon known as ____.

Accepted Answer

This study is an example of the confirmation bias, where people tend to favor information that confirms their preconceptions or hypotheses, regardless of whether the information is true. In this case, fans' biases towards their own team influenced how they interpreted the events of the game.

Question 14

In informal surveys, people always overestimate the number of lesbians who have AIDS. Lesbians actually have extremely low rates of AIDS, but people tend to associate lesbians with gay men (who have relatively high rates). Thus, people tend to think that they see a lesbian-AIDS relationship when in fact there is no such relationship. This is a good example of the ____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the illusory correlation, where people perceive a relationship between two variables (in this case, being a lesbian and having AIDS) even when no such relationship exists. This misconception arises from associating lesbians with gay men, who have higher rates of AIDS, leading to an incorrect assumption about lesbians.

Question 15

The tendency for people to overestimate the link between variables that are related only slightly or not at all is known as the ____.

Accepted Answer

Illusory correlation refers to the cognitive bias where people perceive a relationship between two variables even when no such relationship exists or it is much weaker than assumed. This can lead to incorrect assumptions and stereotypes.

Question 16

Erica intensely dislikes a particular co-worker and seems to only notice his negative qualities. For example, when the co-worker is late for work but happens to bring in donuts, Erica assumes that the co-worker brought donuts because he knew he was going to be late and is trying to deflect attention from his lateness. It does not occur to Erica that her co-worker is late because he stopped to buy donuts. Erica's conclusions illustrate the ____.

Accepted Answer

Erica's conclusions illustrate the confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities.

Question 17

The so-called "gambler's fallacy" refers to the ____.

Accepted Answer

The gambler's fallacy is the incorrect belief that if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future, or vice versa, especially in the context of random, independent events, like roulette spins or dice rolls.

Question 18

People who think they have a "hot hand" after winning five poker hands in a row tend to think that ____.

Accepted Answer

The "hot hand" fallacy is the belief that a person who has experienced success with a random event has a higher chance of further success in additional attempts. In the context of poker, if someone wins five hands in a row, they might incorrectly believe they are more likely to win the next hand, despite the outcomes being largely independent and subject to chance.

Question 19

Letha has just met her first Mormon missionary. In conversation, she finds out that he is a collector of rare books. If Letha commits the error of one-shot illusory correlation, she will ____.

Accepted Answer

One-shot illusory correlation occurs when a person forms a stereotype or a generalization based on a single instance or a very limited experience. In this case, Letha would incorrectly generalize that many Mormons collect rare books based on her encounter with just one Mormon who does.

Question 20

The day after the Supreme Court issued a decision on a particularly divisive issue, the Senate and House pass a bill that is unpopular with the same segment of the population that was unhappy with the decision of the Supreme Court. A few disgruntled individuals then claim that the decision of the Supreme Court was issued at this particular time to distract people from the bill's passage. This assumption best reflects ____.

Accepted Answer

The assumption reflects illusory correlation because it suggests a perceived relationship between the timing of the Supreme Court's decision and the passage of the bill, despite there being no evidence to support a deliberate connection between the two events.

Quiz 5: Social Cognition