Michael Simmons is 5′ 7″ tall, quite slim and not particularly muscular. He likes to read mid-19th-century British poetry and diaries of the authors of literature classics like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. This heuristic will lead you to believe that Michael is more likely to be an literature professor than a truck driver.
A) availability heuristic
B) representativeness heuristic
C) base rate heuristic
D) probability heuristic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The description of Michael fits the stereotype of a literature professor, which is an example of the representativeness heuristic. This heuristic involves judging the likelihood of an event based on how well it matches a particular prototype or stereotype. In this case, the prototype of a literature professor includes characteristics such as being interested in classic literature and not particularly masculine, which describes Michael.

Michael Simmons Is 5′ 7″ Tall, Quite Slim and Not