A person who is concerned about his or her health, but who continues to drink large amounts of alcohol, is making an error in judgment called ignoring the base rate.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ignoring the base rate is a cognitive bias that occurs when people ignore the overall probability of an event and instead focus on specific, often more salient information. In this case, the person is ignoring the high probability of negative health consequences associated with heavy alcohol consumption and instead focusing on the immediate gratification of drinking.

A Person Who Is Concerned About His or Her Health