Cognitive Reflection Heuristics and Common Biases Questions and Answers

Question 1

A researcher presents a group of participants with a personality sketch of 'Linda,' describing her as a 31-year-old, single, outspoken, and very bright philosophy major who is deeply concerned with issues of discrimination and social justice.
When asked which is more probable, participants are more likely to say 'Linda is a bank teller and is active in the feminist movement' than 'Linda is a bank teller.' This is a classic example of which cognitive bias?

Accepted Answer

Conjunction Fallacy

Answer

Anchoring Bias

Answer

Availability Heuristic

Answer

Confirmation Bias

Question 2

After seeing several sensational news reports about a rare but severe disease outbreak in a neighboring country, a person cancels their international travel plans, despite statistics showing the actual risk of contracting the disease is extremely low. This decision is most likely influenced by the:

Accepted Answer

Availability Heuristic

Answer

Representativeness Heuristic

Answer

Framing Effect

Answer

Anchoring Bias

Question 3

A car salesman starts negotiations for a used car by stating a very high initial price. A potential buyer, even though they know the price is inflated, tends to make subsequent offers closer to this initial high price than they would have otherwise. This is a clear demonstration of the:

Accepted Answer

Anchoring Bias

Answer

Confirmation Bias

Answer

Framing Effect

Answer

Representativeness Heuristic

Question 4

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the 'Framing Effect'?

Accepted Answer

A patient is more likely to choose a medical procedure described as having a '90% survival rate' over one described as having a '10% mortality rate,' even though they are statistically identical.

Answer

A manager hires a candidate who shares their alma mater, believing they are more competent than a more qualified candidate from another school.

Answer

An investor continues to put money into a failing project because they have already invested so much, rather than cutting their losses.

Answer

A person overestimates the number of deaths from airplane crashes because such events are heavily reported in the media.

Question 5

An investigator has an early suspect in a criminal case. During the investigation, they tend to seek out and give more weight to evidence that supports the suspect's guilt while unintentionally downplaying or ignoring evidence that points to their innocence. This cognitive error is known as:

Accepted Answer

Confirmation Bias

Answer

Anchoring Bias

Answer

Availability Heuristic

Answer

Conjunction Fallacy

Question 6

A human resources manager is reviewing applications. They come across a candidate who graduated from a prestigious university. The manager immediately forms a positive impression and assumes the candidate is highly intelligent and competent, overlooking some weaknesses in their actual work experience. This judgment is primarily driven by the:

Accepted Answer

Representativeness Heuristic

Answer

Framing Effect

Answer

Anchoring Bias

Answer

Availability Heuristic