Final answer:
The representative heuristic causes people to overlook statistical evidence like base rates and probabilities, focusing instead on available similarities and memory-based instances, often leading to faulty conclusions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The important statistical evidence that the representative heuristic leads us to ignore includes base rates, actual statistical data, and overall probabilities. Instead, we often pay attention to similarities, stereotypes or specific instances that are most salient or easily recalled, leaving us prone to draw incorrect conclusions. For instance, we might overestimate the likelihood of dramatic events due to their vividness and media representation, such as terrorist attacks or plane crashes, while underestimating more common but less sensational risks like car accidents or chronic diseases.
This cognitive bias occurs because the representative heuristic simplifies complex statistical reasoning by substituting a more challenging question with one that is easier to answer based on our memories and experiences.