Since they began watching the news nightly on television, a couple has developed a fear of flying. They are convinced that many more people die in plane crashes than in automobile accidents. Their beliefs are most consistent with what would be predicted by

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The couple's fear is based on the availability heuristic, which suggests that people estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples come to mind. Since plane crashes are highly publicized, they seem more common than they actually are, influencing the couple's perception over the statistically safer reality of air travel compared to car travel.  A plane crash is more likely to make the evening news than is an automobile crash. Because of the content of the evening news memories of plane crashes are more available than memories of automobile accidents. The relative availability of those memories influences the couple's judgments.

Since They Began Watching the News Nightly on Television, a Couple