According to the representativeness heuristic, which of the following are you most likely to think of as an Olympic athlete?
A) a curvaceous woman in her mid-30s
B) a physically fit man in his early 20s
C) an elderly woman who wears her hair in a bun
D) a middle-aged man who is overweight

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic is the tendency to judge the likelihood of an event by how well it matches a typical, or representative, example. When we think of Olympic athletes, we are more likely to imagine young, fit, and able-bodied individuals, which makes B the most representative example. The other choices do not fit the typical image we have of Olympic athletes, so they are less likely to come to mind.

According to the Representativeness Heuristic, Which of the Following Are