When people are asked which is more common, death by homicide or death by stroke, they often choose the former (homicide) because they simply hear more about it than they do the latter (stroke). This means they are being led astray in their judgment by __________.
A) the representativeness heuristic
B) a mental set
C) the confirmation bias
D) the availability heuristic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes the availability heuristic, which involves making judgments based on how easily information comes to mind. People are more likely to estimate the frequency or likelihood of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind. In this case, people hear about homicide more often in the news and media, so they overestimate its frequency compared to stroke.

When People Are Asked Which Is More Common, Death by Homicide