Chris received an advertisement requesting a donation for a program to help troubled youths. He was sympathetic because his own childhood had been difficult. The ad had a line with spaces to indicate the level of contribution, with the first space showing $30, followed by $60, $100, then $500 (Gold Support), and a final blank space to write in the contribution. Before Chris saw the level of contribution line, he thought, "I'll give $20"; after seeing the contribution line, he wrote in $25 instead on the blank space. Chris's decision to give the higher amount was MOST likely influenced by the:
A) representativeness heuristic.
B) availability heuristic.
C) anchoring and adjustment heuristic.
D) framing effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Chris's decision to give a higher amount than he initially planned was most likely influenced by the anchoring and adjustment heuristic. This heuristic involves making decisions based on adjustments to a previously existing value or starting point (in this case, the suggested donation amounts), which served as an "anchor" for his final decision.

Chris Received an Advertisement Requesting a Donation for a Program