Final answer:
Henri being more likely assumed to be an English professor due to his quiet nature and love for reading is an example of base rate neglect, which is a cognitive bias where statistical probabilities are ignored in favor of stereotypes. Therefore, the correct answer is option b) base rate neglect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario with Henri, the quiet man who likes to read and whom people are more likely to assume is an English professor rather than a truck driver, is an example of the cognitive bias known as base rate neglect. This occurs when people ignore statistical probabilities (base rates) in favor of representativeness or stereotypes. The stereotype of an intellectual individual who enjoys reading aligns more closely with the common perception of an English professor than a truck driver, leading people to make an assumption that may not consider actual base rates of these professions in society.
This cognitive bias is different from anchoring bias, which involves relying on an initial piece of information to make subsequent judgments, or from the availability heuristic, which is when people overestimate the likelihood of events based on their ability to recall similar events easily. In this particular instance, people's tendency to assume Henri's profession based on a stereotype, rather than statistics, demonstrates base rate neglect.