Final answer:
The cognitive process contributing to Max's reaction is the availability heuristic, which leads him to perceive the sensation as a potential shark based on recent information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cognitive process that is contributing to Max's reaction in this scenario is the availability heuristic. The availability heuristic refers to the tendency to evaluate new information based on the most recent or most easily recalled examples. In this case, Max's recent experience of watching a movie with a shark sighting in the ocean makes him more prone to perceiving the sensation he feels in the water as a potential shark. This heuristic leads him to react quickly and warn others.
The cognitive process at play in Max's reaction is the availability heuristic, where Max reacts based on easily recalled information from a recent movie rather than on factual evidence.
The cognitive process contributing to Max's reaction after feeling something glide past him in the shallow waters is B. the availability heuristic. This heuristic involves basing decisions or reactions on the information that comes to mind most quickly, which is usually recent or vivid. Max's quick reaction can be attributed to the recent and vivid memory of watching a movie about a shark attack, leading him to interpret the sensation as a potential threat, despite lacking any factual evidence that it was indeed a shark in the water with him.