Question

Everyone was talking at lunch about how awful it is that so many criminals try to get off by pleading insanity. Since less than 1% of violent felons actually make that plea, something other than the truth must be at play. It is probably the _______ because a recent case has been in the news constantly.

a) False consensus effect
b) Confirmation bias
c) Availability heuristic
d) Hindsight bias

Answer 1

The correct answer is c) Availability heuristic. The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut that influences judgments based on how easily examples or instances can be brought to mind.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question is c) Availability heuristic. The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut that leads individuals to make judgments based on how easily they can bring examples or instances to mind. In this case, the information about criminals pleading insanity that the student heard at lunch and the recent case in the news are likely influencing their perception of the prevalence of the plea. However, it is important to note that less than 1% of violent felons actually make the plea, indicating that their perception may be skewed.