Heuristics and Attributions

Question 1

Heuristics

Answer 1

• non-statistical rule of thumb

- simple, efficient thinking strategies

Question 2

Base rates

Answer 2

• ignoring prior probabilities

- population influenced

Question 3

Ignoring Sample-Size

Answer 3

finding stuff that supports your theory due to sample size

Question 4

Misconception of Chance

Answer 4

coin toss- getting ten heads in a row and thinking you have a better chance of getting heads, still 50/50

Question 5

Gambler’s Fallacy

Answer 5

my luck has to turn around

Question 6

Regression to the mean

Answer 6

one large event may not be the actual mean, based on the one single observation

Question 7

What does small sample size lead to

Answer 7

a misjudement

Question 8

Representative Heuristic

Answer 8

based on schemas we already have

Question 9

What are the categorizations of Representative Heuristic based on?

Answer 9

the degree that parts resemble the category

Question 10

Why features are not always diagnostic or why we commit the representativeness heuristic

Answer 10

• Ignoring base rates
• ignoring sample size
• regression to the mean
• conjunction fallacy

Question 11

Conjunction fallacy

Answer 11

the more narrow you make a category the less likely it is

Question 12

Availability

Answer 12

• Estimates of chance are biased by the ease of generating examples
• Things that are easily recalled are very true
• believing natural disasters kill more people than disease because we hear about freak accidents more

Question 13

What is availability heuristic driven by

Answer 13

accessibility: availability and contents of memory

Question 14

Ease of Retrieval of availability heuristic

Answer 14

Less is more

Question 15

Explaining phenomena in terms of:

Answer 15

• frequency (media bias)
• egocentric bias
• salience

Question 16

Frequency (media bias)

Answer 16

hearing of car accidents a lot instead of hearing of heart attacks occur constantly

Question 17

Egocentric bias

Answer 17

• it’s more likely for me to do it than somebody else

- our own behaviors stick out more than others’

Question 18

Salience

Answer 18

how memorable something is

Question 19

The Bridge Study (Dutton and Aron, 1974)

Answer 19

• Would you be more nervous on the stable or “scary” bridge?
• Male participants with a female researcher vs. with a male researcher
• They’d meet them halfway on both bridges
• Give them their phone number after surveying them on the bridge
• Men called more often with a female researcher on the scary bridge because they felt aroused

Question 20

Attribution Theory motivated misattribution

Answer 20

• misattribution of arousal

- self serving (attraction not anxiety

Question 21

Fritz Heider

Answer 21

How do we explain others’ behavior

Question 22

misattribution of others

Answer 22

fail to consider the situation

Question 23

Rational Explanation

Answer 23

use information on consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus to make attributions

Question 24

Jones and Davis (1965)

Answer 24

• We infer that behaviors correspond with peoples’ intentions and dispositions
• thus, a person who says something sarcastic is a sarcastic person

Question 25

When is attribution more likely to occur according to Jones and Davis (1965)

Answer 25

after unexpected or unusual behavior

Question 26

What does behavior not correspond to according to Jones and Davis

Answer 26

situation

Question 27

Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)

Answer 27

person or the situation

Question 28

The FAE in everyday life

Answer 28

• power/ authority figures: automatically assume they’re smarter/ better, however they’re just playing a role
• we are not as you think