After media coverage of two spectacular train crashes, people overestimated the probability of being killed or injured in a train crash and exaggerated the dangers of train travel. This example illustrates:
A) the availability heuristic.
B) functional fixedness.
C) the representativeness heuristic.
D) mental set.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events that are more memorable or easily recalled due to their salience in the media or personal experience. In this case, the media coverage of the train crashes made them more available and memorable, leading people to overestimate the probability of train crashes.

After Media Coverage of Two Spectacular Train Crashes, People Overestimated