Last week, Mike heard about five separate airplane crashes on the news. Even though, overall, motorcycle accidents account for more accidents than plane crashes do, Mike decides to ride his motorcycle from Washington to Atlanta instead of flying. Which bias is reflected in Mike's decision
A)the confirmation bias
B)the availability heuristic
C)the salience error
D)the representativeness heuristic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mike's decision reflects the availability heuristic, which is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision. Hearing about the plane crashes recently makes those events more memorable and impactful, leading him to overestimate the risk of flying compared to riding a motorcycle, despite statistical evidence to the contrary.

Last Week, Mike Heard About Five Separate Airplane Crashes on the News