Question 1

A televised image of a starving child had a greater impact on Mr.White's perception of the extensiveness of world hunger than did a statistical chart summarizing the tremendous scope of the problem.This suggests that his assessment of the world hunger problem is influenced by

Accepted Answer

The fact that Mr. White was more influenced by a vivid image rather than a statistical chart suggests that his assessment of world hunger is influenced by the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to base judgments on the most readily-available information or examples.

Question 2

A single memorable case of welfare fraud can have a greater impact on people's estimates of welfare abuse than do statistics showing that this case is actually the exception to the rule.This illustrates that judgments are influenced by:

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is a cognitive shortcut where people make judgments based on the examples that come to mind most easily, rather than relying on more objective data. In this case, the memorable case of welfare fraud that people can easily recall is influencing their judgment, even if statistics show that it is not representative of the majority of welfare cases. This represents the availability heuristic at work.

Question 3

Stockbrokers often believe that their own expertise will enable them to select stocks that will outperform the market average.This belief best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

This scenario is a classic example of overconfidence bias, as stockbrokers believe in their own expertise and ability to outperform the market average. They may believe they have more information and knowledge than they actually do, leading to overconfidence in their abilities.

Question 4

When Larina started college,she was certain that she would never use illegal drugs.By the end of her freshman year,however,Larina had used an illegal drug on three different occasions.Larina's experience best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Larina's experience best illustrates overconfidence, which is the tendency to be overly confident in one's own abilities and judgments. In this case, Larina was overly confident in her ability to resist illegal drugs, but her actions demonstrated that her initial confidence was misplaced.

Question 5

People with a superficial understanding of proposals for political change often express immoderately strong pro or con views.This best illustrates the impact of:

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates overconfidence, where individuals with limited knowledge on a subject may hold disproportionately strong opinions, believing they understand more than they actually do.

Question 6

A reliance on quick intuitive judgments is best illustrated by our use of:

Accepted Answer

Quick intuitive judgments are often made through the use of heuristics, which are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that help us make decisions quickly and efficiently. Convergent thinking involves systematically considering all possible solutions to a problem, algorithms are step-by-step procedures for solving a problem, and trial and error involves trying various solutions until one works. While all of these processes may involve some level of intuitive judgment, heuristics are most closely associated with this type of thinking.

Question 7

By encouraging people to imagine their homes being destroyed by winds from a hurricane,insurance salespeople are especially successful at selling expensive homeowners' policies.They are most clearly exploiting the influence of:

Accepted Answer

The scenario described involves the use of the availability heuristic, in which people make judgments based on how easily specific examples or experiences come to mind. Salespeople are using vivid examples of home destruction caused by hurricanes to make potential customers feel like this is a more common and pressing threat than it may actually be, increasing the perceived need for insurance.

Question 8

Which of the following best accounts for people's greater fear of commercial air flights than of driving an automobile?

Accepted Answer

Perceived control is the best account for people's greater fear of commercial air flights than of driving an automobile. When driving, individuals have a greater sense of control over their own safety compared to when they are a passenger on a plane, where they may feel as though they have no control.

Question 9

People who err on the side of overconfidence are especially likely to:

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence can lead to a more positive outlook on life and decisions, potentially increasing happiness. It might make individuals more resilient to setbacks due to their optimistic bias.

Question 10

During high school,Charlie found it easy to get away with cheating on his tests.College is a different story,so Charlie spends as many hours devising new ways to cheat as it would take him to study and perform well in an honest fashion.Charlie's shortsightedness best illustrates the consequences of:

Accepted Answer

Charlie's reliance on cheating during high school created a mental set that he now struggles to break out of in college. He is stuck in the mindset that cheating is the easiest way to succeed, and therefore spends more time trying to cheat rather than studying honestly. The other options listed do not accurately reflect Charlie's situation.

Question 11

In contrast to our explicit conscious reasoning,our seemingly effortless and automatic feelings or thoughts are called:

Accepted Answer

Intuitions are our seemingly effortless and automatic feelings or thoughts, in contrast to explicit conscious reasoning. Mental sets refer to the frameworks or ways of thinking that we develop based on our past experiences, which can sometimes limit our problem-solving abilities. Aptitudes are innate abilities or talents, while algorithms are step-by-step procedures or rules for solving problems.

Question 12

We fear too little those events that will claim lives:

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B) undramatically because it suggests that events that do not have dramatic or sensational aspects are often underestimated in terms of their potential danger or impact on life, aligning with the idea that we may not fear them as much as we should.

Question 13

Andy's new employer looks somewhat similar to a TV actor who played the role of a very dishonest politician.Without consciously realizing the similarity,Andy experienced an immediate gut-level distrust of his new employer.His reaction best illustrates the impact of:

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes Andy's immediate gut-level distrust of his new employer without consciously realizing the similarity to a TV actor. This indicates that Andy's reaction is based on intuition, which is a type of unconscious or automatic thinking process.

Question 14

Underestimating the time and cost necessary to complete a project best demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

The planning fallacy refers to the tendency for individuals to underestimate the time and cost necessary to complete a project, which leads to delays and cost overruns.

Question 15

Overconfidence refers to the tendency to:

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence is the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments, and thus underestimate the extent to which they are wrong. It is a cognitive bias that can lead to poor decision-making and can be observed in various contexts, from individual choices to group decisions and even in financial markets.

Question 16

Just passing by a person who sneezes and coughs heightens our perceptions of various health risks.This best illustrates the impact of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Just passing by a person who sneezes...

Question 17

Researchers have used electrical stimulation to decrease left hemisphere activity and to increase right hemisphere activity.This contributed to:

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that increasing right hemisphere activity can lead to improved insight, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, while decreasing left hemisphere activity may reduce analytical thinking and increase holistic processing. Therefore, the use of electrical stimulation to decrease left hemisphere activity and increase right hemisphere activity is likely to lead to improved insight.

Question 18

The indelible memories of the 9/11 terrorist tragedy unduly inflated many people's estimates of the risks associated with air travel.This best illustrates the importance of:

Accepted Answer

The scenario described in the statement best exemplifies the availability heuristic, which refers to the tendency of people to judge the likelihood of an event based on the ease with which examples or instances come to mind. In this case, the vivid and emotional memory of the 9/11 attack made air travel risks more salient and easily accessible in people's minds, leading to an overestimation of such risks even though statistically, air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation.

Question 19

Dean overestimates the proportion of family chores for which he takes sole responsibility because it's easier for him to recall what he has done than to recall what other family members have done.This best illustrates the impact of:

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events based on how easily they come to mind. In this case, Dean is more likely to remember the chores he has done himself, leading him to overestimate his responsibility in comparison to others.

Question 20

Our tendency to judge the likelihood of an event on the basis of how readily we can remember instances of its occurrence is called:

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the tendency to judge events as more likely to occur if similar events are readily available in our memory or our recent experiences. In other words, if we can easily think of examples of an event, we are more likely to believe it is common or likely to occur.

Quiz 9: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence