Question 1

What is base-rate information?

Accepted Answer

Base-rate information refers to the general frequency of an event within a population, which encompasses both the frequency of occurrence (B) and the percentage of cases in that population (D).

Question 2

The preference for anecdotal over base-rate information can lead people to mischaracterize events.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon, known as the base-rate fallacy, occurs because anecdotal evidence is often more vivid and emotionally compelling, leading individuals to overestimate its representativeness and underestimate statistical data, thus mischaracterizing the likelihood or nature of events.

Question 3

If an anecdote is used in a news story, it doesn't have to be representative of the larger point of the story, but it should be extremely vivid and interesting.

Accepted Answer

An anecdote in a news story should be both vivid and representative of the larger point to effectively illustrate and support the story's message.

Question 4

As discussed in this chapter, in cognitive terms, the word "attribution" means:

Accepted Answer

Attribution in cognitive psychology refers to the process by which individuals explain the causes of behavior and events. This involves interpreting and assigning reasons to actions and outcomes, often categorizing them as due to internal dispositions or external situations.

Question 5

Attribution errors can perpetuate gender-based stereotypes by offering different explanations for the same behavior.

Accepted Answer

Attribution errors, such as the fundamental attribution error, can lead to gender-based stereotypes by attributing people's behaviors to their character rather than to situational factors, and these attributions can differ based on the gender of the person exhibiting the behavior, thus perpetuating stereotypes.

Question 6

Which of the terms below describes the tendency for an observer to overestimate the role of personal, internal factors in affecting behavior and to underestimate the influence of situational factors?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error describes the tendency for observers to overestimate the influence of personal, internal factors and underestimate the role of situational factors in affecting others' behavior.

Question 7

Category width refers to:

Accepted Answer

Category width refers to how broadly or narrowly a person categorizes things, which is directly related to the definition provided in option C.

Question 8

Broad categorizers:

Accepted Answer

Broad categorizers are typically more tolerant of conflicting information, can handle discrepancies among category members, and are better at seeing interrelations, which contradicts the statements in A, B, C, and D.

Question 9

People who are uncertainty oriented

Accepted Answer

People who are uncertainty oriented tend to have a need to understand others, are open-minded, evaluate ideas on their own merit, and integrate new and old ideas. This orientation towards uncertainty drives them to seek out and process information in a comprehensive and nuanced manner, embodying all the qualities listed.

Question 10

Some of the tenets of ethical, excellent journalism can help offset a disposition toward narrow categorization and certainty orientation.

Accepted Answer

Ethical, excellent journalism promotes open-mindedness, thorough investigation, and a balanced presentation of information, which can counteract tendencies towards oversimplification and unwarranted certainty by encouraging complexity and nuance in understanding.

Quiz 9: Attribution, Images and Editing Without Bias