Many people believe that there are more deaths in the United States each year due to tornadoes than deaths due to asthma,even though asthma kills more people.This mistaken belief is due in part to the reports of tornadoes being more vivid.This is an example of how our judgments are affected by ____.
A) the availability heuristic
B) the representativeness heuristic
C) the confirmation bias
D) loss aversion

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias in which we estimate the likelihood or frequency of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind. In this case, people are more likely to remember and be affected by vivid media reports of tornado deaths, leading them to overestimate the frequency of tornado deaths compared to other causes such as asthma. This bias leads to incorrect judgments and decisions.

Many People Believe That There Are More Deaths in the United