The Psychology of Security

Question 1

What are the metrics of risk that people tend to mis-evaluate?

Answer 1

The areas that people mis-judge risk in are:

• The severity of the risk
• The probability of the risk
• The magnitude of the risk
• How effective countermeasure are in mitigating the risk
• How well the risk and the cost of risks can be compared

Question 2

Exaggerate or Downplay: Spectacular risk

Answer 2

Exaggerated

Question 3

Exaggerate or Downplay: Rare risk

Answer 3

Exaggerated

Question 4

Exaggerate or Downplay: Personified risk

Answer 4

Exaggerated

Question 5

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risks beyond their control, or externally imposed

Answer 5

Exaggerated

Question 6

Exaggerate or Downplay: Talked about risk

Answer 6

Exaggerated

Question 7

Exaggerate or Downplay: Intentional or man-made risk

Answer 7

Exaggerated

Question 8

Exaggerate or Downplay: Immediate risk

Answer 8

Exaggerated

Question 9

Exaggerate or Downplay: Sudden risk

Answer 9

Exaggerated

Question 10

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risks that are personal

Answer 10

Exaggerated

Question 11

Exaggerate or Downplay: New and unfamiliar risk

Answer 11

Exaggerated

Question 12

Exaggerate or Downplay: Uncertain risk

Answer 12

Exaggerated

Question 13

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk directed against their children

Answer 13

Exaggerated

Question 14

Exaggerate or Downplay: Morally offensive risk

Answer 14

Exaggerated

Question 15

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk entirely without redeeming features

Answer 15

Exaggerated

Question 16

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risks not like their current situation

Answer 16

Exaggerated

Question 17

Exaggerate or Downplay: Pedestrian risk

Answer 17

Downplayed

Question 18

Exaggerate or Downplay: Common risk

Answer 18

Downplayed

Question 19

Exaggerate or Downplay: Anonymous risk

Answer 19

Downplayed

Question 20

Exaggerate or Downplay: More under their control, or taken willingly risk

Answer 20

Downplayed

Question 21

Exaggerate or Downplay: Not discussed risk

Answer 21

Downplayed

Question 22

Exaggerate or Downplay: Natural risk

Answer 22

Downplayed

Question 23

Exaggerate or Downplay: Long-term or diffuse risk

Answer 23

Downplayed

Question 24

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk that evolves slowly over time

Answer 24

Downplayed

Question 25

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk that affects others

Answer 25

Downplayed

Question 26

Exaggerate or Downplay: Familiar risk

Answer 26

Downplayed

Question 27

Exaggerate or Downplay: Well understood risk

Answer 27

Downplayed

Question 28

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk directed towards themselves

Answer 28

Downplayed

Question 29

Exaggerate or Downplay: Morally desirable risk

Answer 29

Downplayed

Question 30

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk associated with some ancillary benefit

Answer 30

Downplayed

Question 31

Exaggerate or Downplay: Risk like their current situation

Answer 31

Downplayed

Question 32

What is optimism bias?

Answer 32

Optimism bias is the belief that we will generally do better at task than other people. We generally believe good outcomes are more common than bad ones.

Question 33

What is control bias?

Answer 33

Control bias is the belief that things are less risk-prone if we feel like we have some manner of control.

Question 34

Define affect heuristics.

Answer 34

Affect heuristics state that the more of an overall good feeling someone has towards a situation lowers their perception of risk.

Question 35

What is representativeness heuristics?

Answer 35

Representativeness heuristics state that the probability of an item belonging to a particular class is based on how ell that example “represents” the class. Basically stereotypes.