You and a friend are visiting a new city and would like to splurge and go out for a fine meal. You look at the restaurant listings in the newspaper and find one that is very expensive. Your friend says, "Let's go for it. With prices like that, we're bound to have an incredible dining experience." In making her decision, your friend most likely was guided by:
A) the "priming" effect
B) the representative heuristic
C) the contrast effect
D) the primacy effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Your friend is using the representative heuristic, which is a mental shortcut in decision making where we base our judgment on how well something fits into our existing schema or prototype. In this case, the high price of the restaurant fits the prototype of a fine dining experience, so your friend assumes it will be incredible.

You and a Friend Are Visiting a New City and Would