Even though Mildred knows that her relationship with her boyfriend is in trouble, she decides not to do anything about it (i.e., she will simply neglect the relationship and let it slowly fall to pieces). Social psychologists would say that her decision to do nothing most reflects ____.
A) the certainty effect
B) the omission bias
C) risk aversion
D) temporal discounting

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The omission bias refers to the tendency to judge harmful actions as worse than equally harmful inactions, which makes people more likely to choose inaction over action, even when inaction is detrimental. Mildred's decision not to do anything reflects this bias as she chooses to neglect the relationship and let it slowly fall to pieces, which is an example of inaction despite knowing that the relationship is in trouble. The other options (certainty effect, risk aversion, temporal discounting) are not directly relevant to Mildred's decision in this scenario.

Even Though Mildred Knows That Her Relationship with Her Boyfriend