Wilma believed that her local senator was an honest, law-biding citizen.When he was indicted on charges of insider trading, she told all her friends there had been a mistake and he would soon be cleared.Finally, the senator confessed to the crimes and served time in prison.Through all of this, Wilma kept insisting he had been framed and was taking the blame to protect someone else.In this example, Wilma shows strong evidence of:
A)belief persistence
B)the framing effect
C)the availability heuristic
D)memory reconstruction

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Wilma is exhibiting belief persistence, which is the tendency to hold on to one's initial beliefs despite evidence to the contrary. She continues to believe that the senator is innocent even after he confesses to the crime and serves time in prison. This is a common cognitive bias that affects our ability to accurately assess information and update our beliefs in light of new evidence.

Wilma Believed That Her Local Senator Was an Honest, Law-Biding