The availability heuristic is one reason people seem to have a difficult time believing that violent crime rates have declined.

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The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that leads people to base their judgments on easily accessible, memorable, and vivid examples. When it comes to violent crime, the media tends to highlight dramatic, sensational, and negative events, making them more salient and memorable than the more common, but less newsworthy, instances of non-violent crime. This cognitive bias can lead people to overestimate the frequency and severity of violent crime, and underestimate the progress that has been made in reducing it over time. Therefore, the availability heuristic is one reason why people might have a difficult time believing that violent crime rates have declined.

The Availability Heuristic Is One Reason People Seem to Have