The vivid 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
A) fixation.
B) the availability heuristic.
C) confirmation bias.
D) framing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the cognitive bias in which people estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. The vivid memories of the 9/11 terrorist tragedy would make people more likely to overestimate the risks of air travel, even though statistically, it remains one of the safest modes of transportation.

The Vivid Memories of the 9/11 Terrorist Tragedy Unduly Inflated