When people fear boarding a plane because of a recent terrorist attack, while ignoring the fact that the likelihood of experiencing a terrorist attack while aboard a plane is extremely small, this heuristic is at work.
A) availability heuristic
B) representativeness heuristic
C) base rate heuristic
D) probability heuristic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is at work here, as people are overestimating the likelihood of a terrorist attack on a plane based on the ease with which a recent example comes to mind, rather than on statistical probability.

When People Fear Boarding a Plane Because of a Recent