Question 1

As a juror attempting to make a decision regarding the possible guilt of a defendant, you recall how the lawyer kept referring to this individual as a criminal, so you assume he/she must be guilty. You have allowed the _________ to influence your decision-making.
A)representative heuristic
B)availability effect
C)framing effect
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

The framing effect occurs when the way information is presented (framed) affects our perceptions and decisions. In this case, the lawyer framing the individual as a criminal influenced the juror's perception of their guilt. The representative heuristic and availability effect may also be at play, but they are not specifically mentioned in the scenario.

Question 2

An optimist says the glass is half full, and the pessimist says it is half empty. Each of these points of view illustrates the
A)representativeness heuristic.
B)availability heuristic.
C)anchoring and adjustment heuristic.
D)power of divergent thinking.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An optimist says the glass is half...

Question 3

"I have good news and bad news about my grades," Peter told his father. "The good news is very good and the bad news is not so bad!" What strategy is Peter using to soften his father's judgment about his grades?
A)availability heuristic
B)anchoring and adjustment heuristic
C)representativeness heuristic
D)framing effect

Accepted Answer

Peter is using the framing effect by first presenting the good news, which will positively influence his father's perception, and then presenting the bad news in a way that minimizes its impact. This is a way to influence his father's judgment by framing the information in a way that will be more favorable to Peter.

Question 4

The way in which information is presented and/or the context in which information is presented can influence decision-making. What does this refers to?
A)the anchoring and adjustment heuristic
B)inductive reasoning
C)exemplars
D)the framing effect

Accepted Answer

The framing effect refers to the phenomenon where changes in how information is presented can impact people's decisions. This effect is significant in fields such as marketing and politics. For example, a product might sell better if it is advertised as "90% fat-free" rather than "10% fat". In this case, the information presented is the same, but how it is framed (positive versus negative) influences how people perceive the product.

Question 5

We often base our estimates of the likelihood of events on how easily information is accessed. This describes the __________ heuristic.
A)availability.
B)representativeness.
C)framing.
D)anchoring and adjustment.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is based on the idea that we tend to estimate the likelihood of events based on how easily we can access relevant information in our memory. This means that events that are more memorable, due to being more recent or more easily imagined, are more likely to be overestimated in terms of their likelihood. Therefore, the availability heuristic is the best choice. The representativeness heuristic involves making judgments based on how representative a given event or situation is of a particular category or group, while framing refers to the effects of the way information is presented on our judgments and decisions. Anchoring and adjustment involves starting with an initial estimate or reference point and adjusting our judgments based on new information.

Question 6

Your friend wants you to go to a movie with him, but you aren't sure if you will like the film. Your friend tries to convince you to go by explaining that all of your other friends who saw the film claimed it was the best film they had seen in years. Your friend is using the ________ to influence your decision.
A)availability heuristics
B)framing effect
C)basic heuristics
D)both a & b

Accepted Answer

Your friend is using both the availability heuristic and the framing effect to influence your decision. The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate the likelihood of events that are easily recalled. In this case, your friend is using the fact that all of your other friends who saw the film claimed it was the best film they had seen in years to make it seem more likely that you will also enjoy the film. The framing effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to make different decisions depending on how the options are presented. In this case, your friend is framing the decision as a choice between seeing a movie that all of your friends loved and seeing a movie that you might not enjoy. This makes it more likely that you will choose to see the movie.

Question 7

In making decisions, people tend to focus on examples that confirm their judgments and ignore instances that do not. This process often leads to
A)overconfidence.
B)overbearing behavior.
C)divergent thinking.
D)availability heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In making decisions, people tend to focus...

Question 8

Pat Murphy, a police officer of Irish ethnic background, has a black belt in Karate and smokes cigars. On the basis of which rule of thumb do we assume that Pat is male?
A)availability heuristic
B)representativeness heuristic
C)anchoring & adjustment heuristic
D)means-end analysis

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic involves relying on stereotypes or typical characteristics to make assumptions about a person or situation. In this case, the assumption that Pat is male is likely based on the stereotype that police officers and karate practitioners are more commonly male than female. However, it is important to note that this assumption may not always be accurate and can lead to false assumptions or biases.

Question 9

You just met your new supervisor and perceived her to be cold, calculating and intimidating. Your friend, who has worked with this individual before, assures you the supervisor isn't really as you perceive. You have doubts about your friend's perception because of
A)anchoring and adjustment heuristics.
B)availability heuristics.
C)representative heuristics.
D)basic heuristics.

Accepted Answer

Anchoring and adjustment heuristics involve relying too heavily on the first piece of information encountered (the "anchor") when making decisions. Your initial perception of the supervisor serves as the anchor, making it difficult to adjust your view based on your friend's input.

Question 10

One conclusion that may be drawn about the certainty of the judgments made on both sides of the O.J. Simpson murder trial (the African-American perspective that focused on the behavior of the Los Angeles Police Department and the white perspective that saw the case as one of spouse abuse and double murder) is the extent to which evidence from the opposing perspective was ignored or dismissed. This neglect of contradictory information is evidence of __________ in decision-making.
A)divergent thinking
B)overconfidence
C)the availability heuristic
D)the framing effect

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence bias occurs when individuals have an excessive belief in their own abilities, judgments, or knowledge. In the case of the O.J. Simpson trial, both sides may have been overconfident in their beliefs and ignored evidence that did not support their perspectives.

Question 11

Giovanni's car was in a snow bank, and his rear wheels were without traction. He used his ski jacket under one tire and a flattened cardboard box under the other tire to provide the traction he needed to get the car out of the snow bank. Giovanni did NOT show __________ in coming to this solution. A)functional fixedness B)insight C)a mental set D)creativity

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is the inability to see objects as having functions other than their typical use. Giovanni did not show functional fixedness because he used his ski jacket and cardboard box in unconventional ways to solve his problem.

Question 12

People tend to make decisions based on shortcuts such as
A)representative heuristics.
B)availability heuristics.
C)anchoring and adjustment heuristics.
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

All of the listed heuristics are commonly used by individuals when making decisions. Representative heuristics involve categorizing something based on similarities to a prototype, availability heuristics rely on the ease of recall when making a decision, and anchoring and adjustment heuristics involve relying too heavily on an initial piece of information. As individuals are prone to utilizing all of these heuristics, D is the best answer.

Question 13

Mr. Dithering, an office manager of a service company, believes that he is an excellent judge of character and that he can spot a talented prospective employee in a brief interview. Often he will point out his successful hires, but fails to acknowledge poorly performing employees he hired. What does Mr. Dithering's judgment suffer from?
A)divergent thinking
B)inductive reasoning
C)overconfidence
D)a lack of confidence

Accepted Answer

Mr. Dithering's judgment suffers from overconfidence, as he believes in his ability to judge character and does not acknowledge the possibility of making a poor hiring decision.

Question 14

Creative people are able to overcome problem solving interference caused by
A)functional fixedness.
B)mental sets.
C)incubation.
D)a & b only.

Accepted Answer

Both functional fixedness and mental sets can be obstacles to overcome in problem solving. Creative people have been shown to be able to overcome these interferences through their ability to think outside the box and come up with new and innovative solutions. Incubation, on the other hand, refers to the idea that taking a break from a problem can actually help facilitate the creative solving of it. While it is a relevant concept to creativity, it is not a solution to problem solving interference caused by functional fixedness or mental sets.

Question 15

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic leads people to rely on __________ to help them make decisions.
A)the most reliable information they receive
B)their initial views, adjusted somewhat if necessary
C)information that remains stable and unchanging
D)friends who have reached decisions

Accepted Answer

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic involves relying on a starting point or initial value (the anchor) and then adjusting that value based on additional information. This means that people are more likely to rely on their initial views or beliefs (the anchor) and adjust them slightly if needed, rather than seeking out the most reliable information or relying on unchanging information or the opinions of others.

Question 16

Ernest studied the frequency of repair records for several makes of cars he was thinking of buying. He was about to buy a Volvo when his brother told him that two of their friends had a lot of repairs on their Volvos and were unhappy with the cars. On the basis of this information, Ernest reconsidered his decision. Which rule of thumb may have been responsible for Ernest's change of mind?
A)representativeness heuristic
B)emotionality heuristic
C)deductive reasoning
D)availability heuristic

Accepted Answer

Ernest likely used the availability heuristic, meaning he relied on easily accessible examples (his brother's friends' negative experiences with their Volvos) to make a decision rather than considering all available data on the reliability of the car.

Question 17

The representativeness heuristic leads people to make judgments about events according to
A)their recent experiences with such events.
B)the population of events that they appear to represent.
C)how easy it is to find relevant events.
D)how well those events are presented in memory.

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic leads people to make judgments based on how well the event matches a prototype or stereotype, or how much the event resembles the population or category it is part of. It is not based on recent experiences, ease of finding relevant events or how well the events are presented in memory.

Question 18

The mayor of a large city announced that the incidence of major crimes was down for the third year in a row. Yet a poll of residents who regularly watched the evening news on TV revealed that they still felt the frequency of criminal acts was high and they felt unsafe living in the city. Which rule of thumb was responsible for the persistence of the residents' fears?
A)representativeness heuristic
B)persistence heuristic
C)anchoring and adjustment heuristic
D)availability heuristic

Accepted Answer

The answer of The mayor of a large city announced...

Question 19

Barbara was asked whether Americans bought more American-made cars than foreign-made cars. To come up with an answer, Barbara based her opinion on the cars her friends drove. What is this decision process indicative of?
A)representative heuristics
B)availability heuristics
C)basic heuristics
D)anchoring and adjustment heuristics

Accepted Answer

Barbara's decision process is indicative of availability heuristics, which involves making judgments based on the readily available information in one's memory or immediate environment. In this case, Barbara is basing her opinion on the cars that her friends drive, which may not be representative of the larger population's car-buying trends.

Question 20

In a debate on welfare reform, the conservative candidate made her presentation, followed by the moderate candidate, and closing with the liberal candidate. The candidates made equally strong presentations of their views. A poll of those who watched revealed a tendency to take the position of the conservative candidate more than the others. This outcome may have been due to the __________ heuristic.
A)availability
B)representativeness
C)anchoring and adjustment
D)framing

Accepted Answer

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic suggests that people rely heavily on the first piece of information they receive (the "anchor") when making decisions. In this case, the conservative candidate spoke first, potentially setting an anchor that influenced the audience's perception of the subsequent candidates.

Quiz 7: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

As a juror attempting to make a decision regarding the possible guilt of a defendant, you recall how the lawyer kept referring to this individual as a criminal, so you assume he/she must be guilty. You have allowed the _________ to influence your decision-making.

An optimist says the glass is half full, and the pessimist says it is half empty. Each of these points of view illustrates the

"I have good news and bad news about my grades," Peter told his father. "The good news is very good and the bad news is not so bad!" What strategy is Peter using to soften his father's judgment about his grades?

The way in which information is presented and/or the context in which information is presented can influence decision-making. What does this refers to?

We often base our estimates of the likelihood of events on how easily information is accessed. This describes the __________ heuristic.

In making decisions, people tend to focus on examples that confirm their judgments and ignore instances that do not. This process often leads to

Pat Murphy, a police officer of Irish ethnic background, has a black belt in Karate and smokes cigars. On the basis of which rule of thumb do we assume that Pat is male?

You just met your new supervisor and perceived her to be cold, calculating and intimidating. Your friend, who has worked with this individual before, assures you the supervisor isn't really as you perceive. You have doubts about your friend's perception because of

Giovanni's car was in a snow bank, and his rear wheels were without traction. He used his ski jacket under one tire and a flattened cardboard box under the other tire to provide the traction he needed to get the car out of the snow bank. Giovanni did NOT show __________ in coming to this solution.

People tend to make decisions based on shortcuts such as

Creative people are able to overcome problem solving interference caused by

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic leads people to rely on __________ to help them make decisions.

The representativeness heuristic leads people to make judgments about events according to

Barbara was asked whether Americans bought more American-made cars than foreign-made cars. To come up with an answer, Barbara based her opinion on the cars her friends drove. What is this decision process indicative of?