Since they began watching the news nightly on television,a couple has developed a fear of flying.They are convinced that many more people die in plane crashes than in automobile accidents.Which cognitive strategy is at the root of this false belief?
A)the representativeness heuristic.
B)an anchoring bias.
C)the availability heuristic.
D)functional fixedness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the cognitive strategy at the root of this false belief. This heuristic involves making judgments based on how easily relevant examples come to mind. In this case, the couple has likely been exposed to more media coverage of plane crashes than car accidents, leading them to overestimate the frequency of plane crashes and underestimate the frequency of car accidents.

Since They Began Watching the News Nightly on Television,a Couple