Question 1

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?

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.

Question 2

Clay is asked to list in order four countries with respect to their literacy rates,something about which he has no specific knowledge.If Clay's responses are typical,what is the accuracy of his judgment most likely to depend upon?

Accepted Answer

Clay's accuracy in ordering countries by literacy rates would most likely depend on his general knowledge about each country, as this would provide him with some basis for making an informed judgment.

Question 3

Which scenario would most likely be attributed to the availability heuristic?

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is when people make judgments based on how easily examples come to mind. Students who live on college campuses may be surrounded by peers who are similar in age, and thus may find it difficult to imagine the experiences of older people who are not on a college campus. This makes them underestimate the average age of the general population.

Question 4

Using the availability heuristic,how should one impress others with the seriousness of homelessness in the world?

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic suggests that people are more likely to be influenced by vivid, emotionally impactful, and memorable anecdotes or stories. Therefore, dramatizing the plight of a single family could be a powerful way to impress others with the seriousness of homelessness in the world. This can make the issue feel more real and relatable, which can increase people's empathy and motivation to take action. Using metaphors or showing pictures of shelters may not be as effective because they are less likely to create an emotional connection and may be less memorable. Asking individuals to imagine themselves in the situation of a homeless person can be a powerful technique as well, but it may not be as impactful as focusing on a specific individual or family's story.

Question 5

Philip Tetlock recruited a sample of 284 experts with strong credentials for making political predictions about certain countries or regions of the world.What did Tetlock discover?

Accepted Answer

Tetlock discovered that experts' predictions about their areas of expertise did not exceed what would have been expected by chance, highlighting the limitations of expert predictions in political forecasting.

Question 6

Josh is so excited to try surfing tomorrow.He has never tried it before,but he is certain that he will be able to master it because he is a talented skateboarder.Which cognitive strategy is Josh using?

Accepted Answer

Josh is using the representativeness heuristic, which is a cognitive shortcut that involves judging the likelihood of an event based on how well it matches our preconceptions about that event. In this case, Josh is assuming that because he is a talented skateboarder, he will also be talented at surfing, even though the two activities require different skills and abilities.

Question 7

Participants in an experiment were asked to estimate the duration of Mars' orbit around the sun.What was the average estimation?

Accepted Answer

Participants often underestimate the duration of Mars' orbit, which is about 687 Earth days, leading to an average estimation that is shorter than the actual duration.

Question 8

Controlled processes require attention; it is often difficult to carry out more than one controlled process at a time.

Accepted Answer

Controlled processes require focused attention and can only be carried out one at a time. Trying to perform multiple controlled processes simultaneously can lead to errors and decreased efficiency.

Question 9

When decisions turn out badly,one is likely to experience regret.In addition to decisions about one's career path,in what other area do decisions result in the greatest regret?

Accepted Answer

The answer of When decisions turn out badly,one is likely...

Question 10

According to H.Paul Grice,the cooperative principle is an overarching rule of audience design.Specifically,speakers should produce utterances appropriate to the setting and meaning of the ongoing conversation.

Accepted Answer

The statement correctly reflects H.Paul Grice's view that the cooperative principle is a guiding rule for audience design, where speakers should be cooperative and produce utterances that are appropriate and relevant to the ongoing conversation.

Question 11

What problem does one face when using the representativeness heuristic?

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic may cause an individual to rely too heavily on one aspect of a situation, ignoring other relevant information. This can lead to inaccurate judgments and decisions.

Question 12

When does a bias based on the anchoring heuristic occur?

Accepted Answer

The anchoring heuristic bias occurs when judgments are unduly influenced by initial estimates or information, leading to an overreliance on that information when making subsequent judgments or decisions. This can occur even when the anchor may be irrelevant or misleading.

Question 13

In the context of decision making,what is a "frame"?

Accepted Answer

A frame is a particular description or way of presenting a choice. It can have a big impact on how people perceive the options they have, and can influence their decision-making process.

Question 14

What do studies of decision making demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

Studies of decision making have consistently demonstrated that the phrasing or framing of a question can significantly influence the decisions people make. This phenomenon is known as framing effect. Despite the assumption that people behave as rational actors, studies suggest that emotions, context, and social factors often influence people's decision-making processes. Additionally, studies have shown that people tend to have an optimistic bias, which means they judge themselves as less susceptible to risks than others. Finally, while informational content is undoubtedly essential, decision making is a complex process that goes beyond the mere provision of relevant data.

Question 15

In a study on the anchoring heuristic that is described in the textbook,students were given a relatively high,arbitrary identification number to copy into their questionnaires,and then were asked to estimate the number of physicians listed in a telephone book.Some students were warned that the ID number might affect their judgments.What did the researchers discover?

Accepted Answer

The researchers discovered that the estimates were affected by the arbitrary identification number, even when students were warned. This suggests that the anchoring heuristic can still influence judgments even when people are aware of its potential biases. Option A is incorrect as it suggests that the warning had a positive impact on accuracy, which is not supported by the study. Option B is incorrect as the use of the anchoring heuristic was not found to lead to more accurate responses. Option D is incorrect as it suggests that the arbitrary number had little to no effect on estimates, which is contradicted by the findings of the study.

Question 16

Despite the pioneering efforts of F.C.Donders,researchers today rarely use reaction time as a way of testing how some cognitive process is carried out.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Reaction time is still commonly used as a way of testing cognitive processes in many areas of research, such as psychology, neuroscience, and human-computer interaction.

Question 17

Two students are taking a physics test.The optimistic student expects to get an A,while the pessimistic student expects to get a C.When the test results are determined,it happens that they both received Bs.Which outcome is most likely?

Accepted Answer

The pessimistic student will be happy with her grade as she expected to get a C, but received a higher grade of B. The optimistic student may not be as happy, as she expected to get an A and only received a B. However, we cannot determine this for sure. Option C and D cannot be determined based on the given information.

Question 18

Tara browses all the DVDs in the store until she has convinced herself that she has found exactly the best one.In the context of decision making,which term best characterizes Tara?

Accepted Answer

A maximizer is someone who strives for the best possible option and spends a long time evaluating and comparing choices before making a decision. Tara's behavior of browsing all the DVDs until she found the "best one" indicates that she is trying to maximize the outcome of her decision.

Question 19

Although she has never been snowboarding,a girl feels that she will not enjoy the sport because she does not like cross-country skiing.What cognitive strategy is she using?

Accepted Answer

The girl is using the representativeness heuristic by assuming that because she does not enjoy one type of winter sport (cross-country skiing), she will not enjoy another winter sport (snowboarding) that is representative of skiing.

Question 20

Processes are serial when they overlap in time; processes are parallel when they take place one after the other.

Accepted Answer

The statement is completely opposite to the actual definition of serial and parallel processes. Serial processes take place one after the other, while parallel processes overlap in time.

Quiz 9: A: Cognitive Processes