Question

261. Which of the following statements best describes an example of availability

heuristic?
(A) After speaking in front of 200 people, Tim is no longer afraid of
public speaking.
(B) Jane thinks all men will eventually cheat on her.
(C) Steven complains to his wife about work after a very bad day, but at the office party Steven's wife sees how much he enjoys what he does.
(D) Rob claims that when he is confronted with a problem, he likes to come up with one correct solution.
(E) After meeting a celebrity, Todd now wants to become an actor and
eventually become famous.

Answer 1

The availability heuristic refers to making decisions based on easily recalled examples, rather than statistical probabilities, and answer (B) Jane thinks all men will eventually cheat on her is the best example of availability heuristic among the provided options.

Step-by-step explanation:

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals make a decision based on how easily they can recall a similar instance or scenario, rather than on objective statistical probabilities. The best choice that represents an example of the availability heuristic is (B) Jane thinks all men will eventually cheat on her. This statement suggests that Jane is basing her belief on a recalled example, possibly from her own experience or from stories she has heard, which are easily remembered, and she generalizes that to all men.

It's important to note that the availability heuristic can lead to distorted judgments because the most vivid or recent memories are not always representative of reality. One may hear about cheating from various anecdotes or media portrayals, and if these stories are dramatic enough, they can be easily recalled and overestimated in terms of how representative they are of all men.