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Questions and Answers
What does the salience bias cause individuals to assess more readily?
What is a key limitation of using heuristics in decision making?
What is confirmation bias primarily associated with in decision-making?
What does the representativeness heuristic involve when classifying something?
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In the context of the example with Linda, what did participants rate as the most likely characteristic?
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What are heuristics most commonly used for in human thinking?
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According to Tversky and Kahneman, what do heuristics enable most people to do?
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What role does the availability heuristic typically play in decision-making?
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What is the Availability Heuristic primarily based on?
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Which system of thinking is described as automatic and fast?
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What is a potential drawback of heuristics according to Berner & Graber (2008)?
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In what situation is System 2 thinking most often required?
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How do heuristics benefit decision-making?
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What concept refers to mental knowledge structures based on experience?
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What is an example of a script in daily life?
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Why might women be less likely than men to be accurately diagnosed during a heart attack?
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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.
