Rudolph tells his mother that his friend John wears glasses and reads many math and science books. He asks his mother if John is more likely to be a science student or a museum guide. His mother says that John is more likely to be a museum guide. John tells his mother that she is incorrect because she failed to take in the base-rates differences in arriving at the decision. This is an example of ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John's mother's judgment is an example of the representativeness heuristic, where she makes a decision based on how much John's characteristics (wearing glasses, reading math and science books) represent her stereotype of a science student, without considering the actual base rates of science students versus museum guides.

Rudolph Tells His Mother That His Friend John Wears Glasses