People are more likely to overestimate the national rate of unemployment if they know several people who have lost their jobs. This is an example of:
A) the availability heuristic.
B) informal reasoning.
C) mindlessness.
D) deductive logic.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario demonstrates the availability heuristic, which is a mental shortcut where individuals rely on easily accessible information to make judgments or decisions. In this case, the personal experiences of knowing people who have lost their jobs are more salient and readily available in the person's mind, causing them to overestimate the national rate of unemployment.

People Are More Likely to Overestimate the National Rate of Unemployment