Heuristics in Social Cognition

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What happens when we receive additional information beyond our cognitive capacity?

We experience information overload (correct)
We rely more on automatic thinking
We become more efficient in our cognitive processing
We use schemas to organize the information

Why do people adopt strategies to 'stretch' their cognitive resources?

To reduce their mental effort (correct)
To increase their mental capacity
To avoid information overload
To make more accurate decisions

What is a major reason why much of our social thought occurs on 'automatic'?

Because we are naturally lazy
Because we have a lot of free time
Because we use heuristics to make quick decisions (correct)
Because our brains are wired to conserve energy

What is the primary function of a heuristic?

To make complex decisions rapidly and efficiently (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between schemas and knowledge?

Schemas are the basis for knowledge (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between a schema and a heuristic?

A schema is used for storing information, while a heuristic is used for solving problems (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the basis of judgment when using the rule of representativeness?

The similarity between an individual and a given group (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why are judgments based on representativeness sometimes inaccurate?

Because they ignore the frequency of events or patterns in the population (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of ignoring base rates when making judgments based on representativeness?

It increases the likelihood of incorrect conclusions (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the example of the neighbor, what is the correct conclusion about her occupation?

She is more likely to be a business manager than a librarian (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is another context in which the representativeness heuristic is used?

When judging whether specific causes resemble and are likely to produce effects of similar magnitude (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using the rule of representativeness?

It reduces the effort required in social cognition (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of a positive mood on an interviewer's ratings?

They assign higher ratings to the people they interview (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of positive moods on our confidence in interpreting others' actions?

It increases our confidence (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the phenomenon where current moods determine what information is noticed and entered into memory?

Mood congruence (D) Signup and view all the answers

How do current moods affect the information that enters into long-term storage?

They permit primarily consistent information to enter (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of affect on cognition, in terms of memory?

It influences what information is noticed and stored (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the occupation of the participants in the study?

Legal professionals (B) Signup and view all the answers

Who recommended prison sentences in one of the studies?

A journalist (D) Signup and view all the answers

How were the recommended sentences generated in another study?

Randomly by throwing dice (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the effect of the anchors on the participants' sentencing recommendations?

Sentences were harsher when exposed to a harsh anchor and more lenient when exposed to a lenient anchor (C) Signup and view all the answers

What type of court case did the participants read in the study?

A realistic criminal case (C) Signup and view all the answers

What should not have influenced the participants' sentencing recommendations?

The recommended sentences from the anchors (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of positive affect on people's problem-solving strategies?

They tend to rely on heuristic thought and previously gathered information. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does our current mood affect our interpretations of people's behavior?

It tends to influence our attributions, with positive affect leading to positive motives and negative affect leading to negative motives. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of people experiencing negative affect when interpreting people's behavior?

They tend to attribute negative motives. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What are the implications of people experiencing positive affect on decision making?

They are more likely to rely on heuristic thought. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between people experiencing positive affect and those experiencing negative affect in decision making?

Their reliance on rules of thumb. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does research suggest about people experiencing positive affect when dealing with current problems or decisions?