A recent train wreck was covered around the clock on the news in David's home town.Afterward,he finds himself afraid to take a planned train trip to visit his grandparents and now feels as though train wrecks must happen all the time.This is an example of the effects of which heuristic?
A)representativeness
B)availability
C)hindsight bias
D)overconfidence

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

David's fear and altered perception are due to the availability heuristic, which suggests that people estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind. The constant news coverage of the train wreck made such incidents seem more common than they actually are, influencing his judgment.

A Recent Train Wreck Was Covered Around the Clock on the News