Cognitive Biases and Heuristics

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Questions and Answers

What does the salience bias cause individuals to assess more readily?

Events that are memorable or striking (correct)

Common occurrences in everyday life

Situations with statistical significance

Less frequent but important incidents

What is a key limitation of using heuristics in decision making?

They always lead to optimal solutions

They are always complicated to apply

They can lead to systematic errors or biases (correct)

They require exhaustive information to function

What is confirmation bias primarily associated with in decision-making?

Ignoring new information that contradicts one’s beliefs (correct)

Considering all available evidence equally

Relying solely on statistical data for decisions

Automatically accepting any new ideas presented

What does the representativeness heuristic involve when classifying something?

Comparing it to a prototype for that category Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the example with Linda, what did participants rate as the most likely characteristic?

Linda being a feminist Signup and view all the answers

What are heuristics most commonly used for in human thinking?

Simplifying judgment in uncertain situations Signup and view all the answers

According to Tversky and Kahneman, what do heuristics enable most people to do?

Reach satisfactory decisions quickly Signup and view all the answers

What role does the availability heuristic typically play in decision-making?

It relies on immediate examples that come to mind Signup and view all the answers

What is the Availability Heuristic primarily based on?

The tendency to overestimate information that is easily recalled Signup and view all the answers

Which system of thinking is described as automatic and fast?

System 1 Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential drawback of heuristics according to Berner & Graber (2008)?

They can lead to overconfidence despite errors Signup and view all the answers

In what situation is System 2 thinking most often required?

In situations requiring creativity or precision Signup and view all the answers

How do heuristics benefit decision-making?

They facilitate quick judgments based on experience Signup and view all the answers

What concept refers to mental knowledge structures based on experience?

Schemas Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a script in daily life?

The series of actions taken when going to a restaurant Signup and view all the answers

Why might women be less likely than men to be accurately diagnosed during a heart attack?

Women typically present symptoms that are less recognizable as a heart issue Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Salience Bias

Occurs when people assess something as more prevalent if it comes to mind very readily
For example, an image of a shark with its mouth open, and legs visible in the water above the shark's mouth, might make someone think that shark attacks are more common than they actually are

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to look for information conforming to an existing belief and ignoring or downplaying information that contradicts it
Also, paying more attention to evidence that confirms existing beliefs
Example: Study by Darley and Gross (1983) showed participants a video of an oral test with two participant groups, one group was told the person in the video was from a high socio-economic background, and the other was told the person in the video was from a low socio-economic background, the raters attended more to evidence confirming their expectations about the participants' academic abilities

Heuristics

Quick rules of thumb that work well in most situations, even though they can lead to errors
They are mental shortcuts that help us make decisions quickly, but may not always lead to the most accurate or logical conclusion
Two examples are the representativeness heuristic and the availability heuristic

The Representativeness Heuristic

Tendency to classify something based on how closely it matches our prototype for that group
For example, if we see someone wearing a suit and tie, we might automatically assume they are a lawyer or businessman, even if they could be a teacher or construction worker
Example Study by Tversky & Kahneman (1982): Participants were presented with a description of a woman named Linda, and were asked to rate the likelihood of two statements; a) Linda is a feminist, and b) Linda is a bank teller.
The participants rated the likelihood of Linda being a feminist higher than her being a bank teller, even though it was statistically more likely that she was a bank teller
This is due to the representativeness heuristic, as Linda's description matched the prototype of a feminist more closely than a bank teller

The Availability Heuristic

Tendency to assess outcomes as more probable if they come to mind readily
This is the core principle underlying the salience bias
For example, if someone recently saw a news report about a plane crash, they may be more likely to avoid flying, even though plane crashes are statistically rare
This is because the recent news report has made plane crashes more available in their mind

Why Do We Make These Errors?

Because our brains use heuristics to make decisions quickly and efficiently
These shortcuts can lead to biases, but they also serve an important function in helping us navigate the world

System 1 (Fast) Thinking and Experts

Automatic, effortless, and based on experience
Draws on concepts, routines, and rules of thumb acquired through extensive practice
Often results in fast and accurate decisions
Example, experienced drivers use System 1 thinking to quickly react to unexpected situations on the road
Expertise builds richer knowledge structures and rules of thumb, which can improve the accuracy of System 1 thinking, such as chess players relying on pattern recognition and learned sequences to make decisions

System 2 (Slow) Thinking and Decision Making

Slow, effortful, and requires conscious attention
Needed in unfamiliar situations, where creativity is called for, or where precision is paramount
Can be used to override System 1 thinking and make more accurate decisions, but can be taxing, especially when under pressure

Overconfidence

Can be a consequence of expertise and reliance on heuristics. This is because experts may rely on their experience and intuition, making them more confident than they should be in their judgments.
Example: Doctors were given case descriptions that led to high disagreement between doctors, but each individual doctor was confident they were correct

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Description

This quiz explores common cognitive biases such as salience bias and confirmation bias, illustrating how they influence perceptions and judgments. It also covers heuristics, which are mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making processes. Enhance your understanding of these psychological concepts and their impact on reasoning.