Question 1

What are people using when they overestimate the frequency of violent crimes because such crimes are repeatedly shown in the media

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is a cognitive shortcut in which people make judgments based on the ease and frequency with which information comes to mind. In this case, because media outlets often heavily emphasize violent crimes, they are more readily available in people's minds, leading them to overestimate how often such crimes occur.

Question 2

In a taste test,two groups were given exactly the same chocolate and asked to rate it for flavour,texture,and appearance.One group was told that the chocolate was expensive,handmade,and imported from Europe.The other group was told that the chocolate was relatively cheap and from a large factory in a nearby city.Which chocolate will get the most favourable ratings

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the placebo effect, where the expectation of a certain outcome influences the perception of that outcome. In this case, the group who believed they were eating an expensive, high-quality chocolate would have expected it to taste better and therefore rated it more favorably.

Question 3

What cognitive tendency is described by the representativeness heuristic

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic is the cognitive tendency to estimate the probability of an event based on how similar it is to the typical prototype of that event. For example, someone may assume that a person wearing a lab coat is a scientist because they fit the prototype of what a scientist typically looks like. This heuristic can sometimes lead to errors in judgment because it ignores other relevant information about the situation or event.

Question 4

Stating that "all good Canadians will agree ..." is an example of which of the following

Accepted Answer

This statement is an example of anticipatory name calling, which involves predicting that a certain group will agree with a statement, thereby pressuring individuals to conform to that expectation.

Question 5

You flip a fair coin ten times.Each time it comes up heads,you get 10 cents.Each time it comes up tails,you lose 5 cents.What is your expected value for each flip of the coin

Accepted Answer

The expected value for each flip is calculated by taking the probability of getting heads (0.5) times the amount won for heads ($0.10) plus the probability of getting tails (0.5) times the amount lost for tails (-$0.05). This gives (0.5 * $0.10) + (0.5 * -$0.05) = $0.05 + (-$0.025) = $0.025 or 2.5 cents, which rounds to +5 cents when considering the options provided.

Question 6

Wilson is watching two different roulette-type games at a local charity bazaar.Each game costs $1 to play.In one game,there are ten different numbers,and if the number he selects comes up,he will win $12.In the other game,there are 100 different numbers,but if the number he selects comes up,he will win $50.What should Wilson do based on expected value theory

Accepted Answer

The expected value for the first game is $1.20 (1/10 * $12), and for the second game, it is $0.50 (1/100 * $50). The first game has a higher expected value.

Question 7

You can't think of a single instance when Cathy helped you out,and so you decide that Cathy must be an ungenerous person.What are you using to make this judgment

Accepted Answer

The individual is using the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to make judgments based on information that is easily available in one's memory or environment. The individual cannot recall any instances of Cathy helping them out, so they assume that Cathy must be an ungenerous person. However, this judgment may not necessarily be accurate as the individual's memory may be biased or limited.

Question 8

Assume that odds of a new computer requiring any type of service in the first two years are less than 1 in 10.000,and the average cost of any computer service call is only $50.However,Karen pays $200 for a two-year service contract on her new computer.She explains that her peace of mind is well worth the cost of the contract.What is Karen using to make her decision to purchase the service agreement in this case

Accepted Answer

Karen is using subjective utility to make her decision, as she values the peace of mind the service contract provides more than the monetary cost of the contract itself. This decision is based on personal preference rather than objective cost-benefit analysis.

Question 9

What is the term for basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which instances come to mind

Accepted Answer

The term for basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which instances come to mind is called the availability heuristic. The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut where people make judgments about the likelihood of an event based on the ease with which relevant examples come to mind.

Question 10

What is subjective utility

Accepted Answer

Subjective utility refers to the personal value or worth an individual assigns to a particular outcome, based on their own preferences, needs, and desires. It is different from objective utility, which is a measurable value based on an outcome's expected value and probability. Thus, subjective utility is the best choice out of the given options.

Question 11

Jacob is thinking of buying a $1 lottery ticket.In Lottery A,his odds of winning are 1 out of 1,000,and he may win $500.In Lottery B,his odds of winning are 1 out of 5,000,but he may win $5,000.What will Jacob choose to do based on expected value theory

Accepted Answer

To determine the expected value of each lottery, we multiply the probability of winning by the amount that can be won:
Expected value of Lottery A = (1/1000) x $500 = $0.50 
Expected value of Lottery B = (1/5000) x $5000 = $1.00

Based on expected value theory, Jacob should choose the lottery with the higher expected value, which is Lottery B. Therefore, the best choice for Jacob is to buy a ticket from Lottery B.

Question 12

After seeing your new neighbour walking very stiffly and primly by your house wearing horn-rimmed glasses on a chain,a cardigan sweater,and her hair in a bun,you decide she must be a librarian.What are you using to make this judgment

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the representativeness heuristic, where we make judgments about someone or something based on how well they fit our prototype or schema of what we think a librarian "should" look like. The person's appearance matches our mental image of a librarian, so we assume that she is one.

Question 13

Elisa is entering survey data from adult males in a research study.One respondent has listed his height as 6 feet 5 inches,but the occupation is hard to decipher.Elisa thinks it might be basketball player or bank president.She decides to enter basketball player as the occupation,because he is so tall.What did Elisa do in this case

Accepted Answer

Elisa likely relied on the representativeness heuristic in making her decision, as she chose an occupation that seemed to fit with the characteristics of the respondent (tall stature) rather than considering other possibilities. The conjunction fallacy and overextension do not apply in this scenario, and the availability heuristic (which involves making judgments based on the ease with which examples come to mind) may not be relevant since Elisa did not mention considering other examples or information.

Question 14

In Canada,the Inuit have their own language and culture.For example,they have numerous words for snow which are absent in English language.According to Whorf,what is a result of these differences in language

Accepted Answer

According to Whorf's linguistic relativity hypothesis, language impacts the way we think and perceive the world around us. Therefore, if the Inuit have numerous words for snow that are absent in the English language, it could suggest that they have a broader perception of snow.

Question 15

Juliana used to enjoy eating chicken,but since she has seen all the headlines about people becoming ill from eating chicken,she has decided she will never eat chicken again.What influenced Juliana's decision to stop eating chicken

Accepted Answer

Juliana's decision to stop eating chicken was influenced by the availability heuristic, which is a cognitive bias that leads people to make judgments based on how easily information comes to mind. In this case, the many news headlines about people becoming ill from eating chicken made it easy for Juliana to recall instances of people getting sick, and this influenced her decision to avoid chicken in the future.

Question 16

Zackary's friend asks how well Zackary gets along with his younger brother.Zackary thinks about how irritating his younger brother was yesterday,and the big fight they had as a result,and tells his friend that he doesn't get along with his brother at all.What is Zackary's response consistent with in this instance

Accepted Answer

Zackary's response is consistent with the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to rely on readily available information (in this case, the recent fight) to make judgments about a situation. It is possible that Zackary and his brother usually get along well, but the recent negative experience is more salient and therefore affects his response to his friend's question.

Question 17

Autumn has been figure-skating since she was 5 years old.She has never placed higher than third in any of the competitions she has been in,but she is still convinced that she will be able to become a professional figure skater in a few years.Her coach and her parents have tried to tell her that not many people make it as professional skaters,but Autumn is convinced that she can beat the odds.What is Autumn doing in this case

Accepted Answer

The answer of Autumn has been figure-skating since she was...

Question 18

Claude and Marie are excited because they have just bought a restaurant from the previous owners.The two partners know that the last seven restaurants that have been operated at that location have gone bankrupt within a year of their openings,but Claude and Marie are certain their restaurant will be successful because they plan on working hard to be a success.What are the two new business partners doing in this case

Accepted Answer

Claude and Marie are ignoring base rates, which refer to the statistical probability of success or failure based on past performance data. They are disregarding the fact that the previous seven restaurants at that location went bankrupt within a year of their openings. Instead, they are relying on their personal abilities and hard work to ensure the success of their restaurant, which is not necessarily a reliable predictor of success in the restaurant industry.

Question 19

What is subjective probability

Accepted Answer

Subjective probability is an individual's personal estimate of the likelihood of an outcome, based on their own experiences, beliefs, and intuitive judgments, rather than on long-run frequency data or mathematical calculations. It reflects an individual's degree of confidence in a particular event occurring, and can vary widely from person to person, even for the same event.

Question 20

Byron has been watching his new neighbour for a week.She drives a sporty car,carries a phone,and wears nothing but blue business suits.Byron decides his new neighbour must be a lawyer.What did Byron use to form an opinion about his new neighbour's occupation

Accepted Answer

Byron used the representativeness heuristic to form an opinion about his new neighbor's occupation. He observed characteristics that he associates with the typical image of a lawyer, such as driving a sports car and wearing business suits, which led him to make assumptions about her occupation.

Quiz 8: A: Language and Thought