Assuming that most crimes involve violence because the news generally reports on rapes, robberies, and beatings is an example of the _____ heuristic.
A. availability
B. representativeness
C. affect
D. authority
Answer (2)
The correct answer is A. availability, which refers to the cognitive bias of estimating the frequency of an event based on how easily examples are recalled. In this case, the focus on violent crimes presented in the news leads to an assumption that such crimes are more frequent. This heuristic can distort perceptions of reality.
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To answer this question, we need to understand what each of the heuristics listed in the options means.
Availability Heuristic (Option A): This is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision. The availability heuristic suggests that if something can be recalled, it must be important, or at least more frequent than alternatives which are less memorable.
Representativeness Heuristic (Option B): This heuristic involves judging the likelihood of an event by comparing it to an existing prototype in our minds. It's about how much one thing represents or matches another.
Affect Heuristic (Option C): This is a mental shortcut that allows people to make decisions and solve problems quickly and efficiently, where our emotions influence our decisions.
Authority Heuristic (Option D): This involves relying on expert opinions or authorities to make a judgment or decision.
The question asks about assuming that most crimes involve violence because the news generally reports on rapes, robberies, and beatings. This assumption is based on how frequently these violent crimes are reported in the media, making them more easily recalled or imagined.
Therefore, the assumption is an example of the availability heuristic because it relies on examples that are most readily available in our memories due to media coverage.
Thus, the correct answer is Option A: availability heuristic .
