Psychology Chapter 3: Heuristics in Decision Making

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Questions and Answers

What describes the process of automatically making judgments without awareness?

Reflective thinking

Controlled thinking

Deliberate thinking

Impulsive thinking (correct)

What term is used to describe the phenomenon where misleading information affects one’s memory of an event?

Misinformation effect (correct)

Memory enhancement

Memory decay

Schema distortion

Which of the following statements best refers to the limitations of our unconscious processing?

It enables us to remember every detail accurately.

It does not influence our emotional reactions.

It allows for completely unbiased decisions.

It limits our access to the processes in our minds. (correct)

How is memory described in relation to the brain?

As a storage chest for information. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when an individual lacks expertise but must make a quick decision?

They may make a satisfying choice based on unconscious thinking. Signup and view all the answers

What is belief perseverance?

The tendency to hold onto initial beliefs despite contrary evidence Signup and view all the answers

How do depressed moods affect perception according to the content?

They prime individuals to interpret events negatively Signup and view all the answers

What effect do subliminal stimuli have on belief and interpretation?

They can prime individuals despite being unseen Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested as a remedy for belief perseverance?

Explaining the opposite of established beliefs Signup and view all the answers

How do beliefs shape our interpretation of events?

They selectively influence interpretations based on past experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What role does mood play in the perception of past experiences?

Positive moods can make past experiences seem more favorable. Signup and view all the answers

How does exposure to violence influence interpretations of behavior?

It primes individuals to view ambiguous actions as aggressive. Signup and view all the answers

In what way do preconceptions benefit intuitive judgments?

They help in identifying and interpreting events more efficiently. Signup and view all the answers

What does the representativeness heuristic involve?

Presuming that someone belongs to a particular group based on resemblance. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of attribution theory?

Analyzing how behavior is attributed to personal or situational factors. Signup and view all the answers

What does the availability heuristic rely on?

The ease with which instances come to mind. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a dispositional attribution?

A person performs poorly due to lack of preparation. Signup and view all the answers

How does counterfactual thinking differ from regular thinking?

It involves imagining alternative scenarios. Signup and view all the answers

What does spontaneous trait inference refer to?

The automatic inference of a trait after observing behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of using the representativeness heuristic?

Misunderstanding statistical probabilities. Signup and view all the answers

Which best describes situational attribution?

Blaming behavior on external environmental factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is illusory correlation?

The tendency to see a relationship where none exists. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors does NOT influence attributions according to Harold Kelley's theory?

Recency Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'illusion of control' imply?

We believe we can influence random events. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the fundamental attribution error?

Underestimating situational influences. Signup and view all the answers

How do moods affect social judgment?

They can trigger memories of past experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What does regression toward the average suggest?

Extreme scores tend to return to average values. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Rosenthal effect illustrate?

High expectations typically lead to improved performance. Signup and view all the answers

What role do social judgments play in everyday thinking?

They involve emotion-driven processing. Signup and view all the answers

What describes the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs?

Overconfidence Phenomenon Signup and view all the answers

What is the remedy suggested to reduce overconfidence?

Unpacking tasks Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive bias involves recalling mild pleasant events more positively than they were?

Rosy Retrospection Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of how misjudgment can occur due to cognitive mechanisms?

Clinicians may misjudge patients' conditions Signup and view all the answers

Which technique encourages individuals to consider why their judgments might be wrong?

Prompt feedback Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of confirmation bias?

To confirm one's preconceptions Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following phenomena illustrates planning fallacy?

A student underestimating the time needed to complete a project Signup and view all the answers

What defines heuristics in the context of cognitive processing?

Mental shortcuts for efficient thinking Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Heuristics and Cognitive Biases

Representativeness heuristic: Assumes an individual belongs to a group based on resemblance to typical members, often ignoring statistical odds.
Availability heuristic: Judgess the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind, leading to potential misjudgment of frequency.

Attribution Theory

Dispositional attribution: Assigning behavior to personal traits or characteristics.
Situational attribution: Attributing behavior to external environmental factors.
Fundamental attribution error: Observers tend to underestimate situational influences while overestimating dispositional influences in others' behavior.

Thinking and Mood Influences

Mood influences cognitive processing; distractions can lead to superficial judgments, while good or bad moods affect memory recall and interpretation of events.
Priming effects can occur even with subliminal stimuli, affecting how beliefs shape our perception of events.

Memory and Reconstruction

Misinformation effect: Incorporating misleading information into one's memory after an event.
Rosy retrospection: Tendency to remember mildly positive experiences more favorably than they occurred.
Confirmation bias: Seeking information that confirms preconceptions, reinforcing existing beliefs.

Cognitive Errors and Overconfidence

Overconfidence phenomenon: Individuals often overestimate the accuracy of their beliefs and judgments, which can lead to errors.
Remedies for overconfidence include prompt feedback and breaking tasks into smaller components to evaluate potential flaws.

Heuristics: Simple and efficient strategies for problem-solving, although can lead to cognitive biases and misjudgments.
Illusory correlation: Incorrect perception of a relationship or a stronger relationship than exists.
Illusion of control: The belief that one can influence outcomes that are actually determined by chance.

Harold Kelley’s attribution theory considers consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus to determine behavioral attribution.
Expectations can significantly influence performance outcomes, exemplified by the Rosenthal effect, where high expectations lead to improved performance.

Counterfactual and Trait Inferences

Counterfactual thinking: Imagining alternative scenarios that could have occurred, influencing emotional responses and judgments.
Spontaneous trait inference: Automatic deduction of a person's traits based on their behavior without conscious awareness.

Importance of Beliefs and Expectations

Belief perseverance: Holding onto beliefs despite contradictory evidence, often influenced by prior reasoning.
Engaging in reflective thinking and considering opposing viewpoints can mitigate belief perseverance.

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Description

This quiz explores the Representativeness Heuristic and its impact on intuitive social judgments in Psychology 313: Social Psychology. Understand how biases like misdiagnoses and prejudices affect our decision-making processes. Test your knowledge on the influence of moods and heuristics in everyday judgments.