John learns about Michelle, a student at a state university in New York, who has blond hair, enjoys summer, and likes the beach. John assumes she is from California (given the stereotypes about women from California) despite the fact that over 85% of students at this state university are from New York. This is best explained by
A) divergent thinking.
B) algorithms.
C) knowledge of the base rate.
D) the representativeness bias.
E) convergent thinking.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John's assumption about Michelle's place of origin is based on his reliance on stereotypes rather than the base rate of where most of the students at the state university come from. This is an example of the representativeness bias.

John Learns About Michelle, a Student at a State University