ASC ASC Decision Making & Group Dynamics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'expert halo' heuristic trap in backcountry groups refers to the tendency to:
- Overestimate the snowpack stability on north-facing slopes
- Defer all risk judgments to the most credentialed person present (Correct answer)
- Underestimate avalanche danger during high-pressure weather
- Trust beacon signals over visual burial markers
Correct answer: Defer all risk judgments to the most credentialed person present
The expert halo causes group members to suppress their own observations and defer uncritically to someone perceived as an authority, potentially allowing hazards to go unaddressed.
Question 2: Which pre-trip planning element is considered MOST critical for minimizing decision-making errors once a group is in avalanche terrain?
- Selecting the highest-quality beacon models
- Establishing clear turnaround criteria and decision triggers before departure (Correct answer)
- Reviewing prior-season accident reports
- Packing additional rescue equipment
Correct answer: Establishing clear turnaround criteria and decision triggers before departure
Pre-established decision triggers (e.g., specific danger ratings or observed red flags) reduce in-the-moment cognitive bias and ensure consistent, pre-committed responses.
Question 3: When a group member observes a recent natural avalanche but the group leader wants to proceed, the BEST action under ASC protocols is to:
- Proceed cautiously and observe for additional signs
- Raise the observation formally as a red flag and recommend reassessment of the plan (Correct answer)
- Follow the leader's decision since they have ultimate authority
- Document the observation for post-trip reporting only
Correct answer: Raise the observation formally as a red flag and recommend reassessment of the plan
ASC protocols require that any red flag observation trigger a formal reassessment; recent natural avalanche activity is among the most reliable indicators of instability.
Question 4: The term 'summit fever' in avalanche safety decision-making describes the tendency to:
- Overreport hazard conditions to trip coordinators
- Allow goal commitment to override objective hazard assessment (Correct answer)
- Underestimate travel time in steep terrain
- Exceed recommended group size for alpine objectives
Correct answer: Allow goal commitment to override objective hazard assessment
Summit fever causes individuals and groups to discount risk signals because the desire to achieve an objective overrides rational safety evaluation.
Question 5: How does group size primarily affect decision quality in avalanche terrain according to ASC human factors principles?
- Larger groups always produce better decisions due to more diverse experience
- Smaller groups tend toward better individual accountability while larger groups increase social pressure risks (Correct answer)
- Group size has no significant impact on decision quality
- Groups of exactly four optimize both rescue capacity and decision quality
Correct answer: Smaller groups tend toward better individual accountability while larger groups increase social pressure risks
Larger groups can amplify social proof and herding behavior, while smaller groups maintain individual accountability and more direct communication.
Question 6: Which communication technique is MOST effective for ensuring all group members have shared situational awareness before entering complex avalanche terrain?
- Silent observation period followed by leader-only briefing
- Round-robin verbal check-in requiring each member to state observations and concerns (Correct answer)
- Written hazard log reviewed at trailhead
- Beacon check combined with verbal go/no-go confirmation
Correct answer: Round-robin verbal check-in requiring each member to state observations and concerns
Round-robin check-ins ensure every member actively verbalizes their assessment, surfacing diverse observations and reducing the risk of suppressed concerns.
ASC ASC Decision Making & Group Dynamics 2
The 'expert halo' heuristic trap in backcountry groups refers to the tendency to: