w7

Question 1

affect heuristic

Answer 1

mental shortcut where people rely on their emotions (affect) to make quick judgments and decisions. When individuals feel positively about something, they tend to perceive its risks as low and its benefits as high, and vice versa. This heuristic influences risk perception, often leading to biased or intuitive decision-making based on emotional reactions rather than logical reasoning.

Question 2

affect

Answer 2

immediate emotional response or feeling (positive or negative) that influences decision-making and perceptio

Question 3

who do we trust, 3 factros of trust

Answer 3

1. ability
2. benevolence
3. integrity

Question 4

probability neglect

Answer 4

tendency to ignore the actual likelihood of an event occurring, especially when strong emotions are involved. People focus more on the possible outcome than on how likely it is to happen.

Question 5

psychological numbing

Answer 5

the importance of saving one life is great when its the first or only but it diminshes as the number of lives increases

Question 6

What is the relationship between polarization and risk perception as discussed in the presentation?

Answer 6

polarization is often related to perceived risks. Issues like climate change, COVID-19, and gun control become polarized because people’s perceptions of risk differ significantly, often contrasting with expert judgments. This divisiveness can lead to different groups forming extreme views.

Question 7

What are the two types of influence that contribute to polarization, according to the presentation?

Answer 7

The two types of influence are informational influence, where group members are exposed to information that supports the group position, and normative influence, where individuals conform to group norms to fit in or be seen as part of the group. Both types of influence reinforce polarization.

Question 8

How does social media contribute to polarization, as per the presentation?

Answer 8

Social media enhances polarization by creating “filter bubbles,” where individuals are exposed mainly to views that align with their own. This reinforcement of group beliefs, alongside the potential anonymity of online interactions, intensifies polarization, particularly when outgroup opinions provoke outrage.

Question 9

What are some key predictors of behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to polarization?

Answer 9

Key predictors include risk perception, age, social norms, and trust . Initially, there was a unified response to the pandemic, but as fear subsided, polarization in attitudes and behaviors increased, especially based on political preferences.

Question 10

How does trust affect risk perception, as mentioned in the presentation?

Answer 10

Trust is essential for accepting risk assessments. It reduces uncertainty about risks, and people often use trust as a heuristic when they lack knowledge. During times of uncertainty, perceptions of integrity tend to increase, but perceptions of ability may decrease, particularly when policy decisions seem incompetent.

Question 11

According to the presentation, what is the effect of fear on risk perception and polarization?

Answer 11

Fear tends to unify risk perception in the early stages of a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as fear diminishes, polarization increases, particularly along ideological lines, with right-leaning individuals showing less adherence to public health measures as perceived risk decreases.

Question 12

What is the “availability heuristic,” and how does it influence risk perception?

Answer 12

The availability heuristic refers to the tendency of people to judge the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind. If a risk is frequently discussed or highlighted in the media, people perceive it as more likely, even if its actual probability is low. This can skew risk perception away from objective assessments.

Question 13

How does “control” influence risk perception, according to the presentation?

Answer 13

People tend to tolerate more risk when they feel in control of the situation. The illusion of control can lead individuals to underestimate risks, particularly in scenarios where they believe they can manage the outcome, even if the actual risk remains high.

Question 14

how is polarization related to risks (e.g. climate change, covid, gun control etc)

Answer 14

Polarization occurs when people with different ideologies interpret risks differently, often driven by political beliefs. For example, liberals may view climate change as an urgent threat, while conservatives may downplay it, leading to divided attitudes and behaviors regarding mitigation.

Question 15

how is perceived risk often in contrast with expert
judgments

Answer 15

Experts rely on data and statistical models to assess risks, while the public often uses emotional or intuitive responses. This can result in the public seeing something as highly risky (e.g., nuclear power) while experts assess it as low-risk, or vice versa.

Question 16

haw can perceptions of risk can be divisive

Answer 16

Risk perceptions can be divisive when different groups interpret the same risk in conflicting ways, often influenced by their values, political beliefs, or social circles. This leads to polarized opinions, especially on issues like COVID-19 or climate change.

Question 17

what processes lead to polarization

Answer 17

• Informational influence
• Normative influence
• Social media and polarization

Question 18

Group interaction leads to
similarity of opinions

Answer 18

• as shown in the Sherif experiment
• when you stare into a black screen witzh a white dot you can see the dot is moving, different people see the dot move to different extent
• as ppl interact their oppinions become more simmilar to eachothers

Question 19

polarization within grops

Answer 19

• as each grouo interacts their opinion averages out across the participants
• so if the groupo is sligtly negative they become more negative after grouo disscusion

Question 20

social media and polarization

Answer 20

social media use and polarization has mixed evidence
Age and polarization correlate positively
- Exposure to outgroup opinions can also increase polarization
- however - the facebook experiment - the people who didnt use facebook durig 2016 elections were less polarized

Question 21

Informational influence

Answer 21

Going along with the group because you think they know more than you do. You change your own beliefs or attitudes because you think that the group is right.
* More exposure to information that supports the group position if:
- Group already has an initial preference
- Higher threshold for dissenting views
* Expression of views that support group perspective leads to
group becoming more extreme, especially when:
- There are more arguments
- Arguments are persuasive
- aslo happens within individuals (mere thought effect).

Question 22

normative infliuence

Answer 22

Going along with the group so they will like you. Sometimes you change your actions to match the group even though you do not agree with them.
* Social identity/Self-categorization perspective:
- Optimal distinctiveness from outgroup
- Presence of outgroup leads to more conformity andvpolarization
- Polarization can also offer an identity

Question 23

what are some main points of polarization within
groups

Answer 23

• Interacting with group members can amplify preferences the group already has
• Thoughts confirming the group view are more likely shared than conflicting thoughts.
• New information is judged in such a way that the groups view is supported
• Group members want to show themselves to be true group members, therefore aligning with the groups attitude.
• Social media use appears to mostly enhance polarization

Question 24

define risk

Answer 24

the combination of the ikelihood of occurrence of a harm and the severity of that harm
likelihood X severity
but that is not how ppl percieve risk, some risks are overestimated some are not, we particuarly fear spectacular risks and underestimate mundane risks

Question 25

what is prospect theory

Answer 25

describes how people evaluate gains and losses; it includes concepts such as loss aversion
loss aversion - losses hurt more than gains bring joy

Question 26

whats the difference btween a gain frame and the loss frame

Answer 26

We will take great risks to avoid a loss. Reframing the same option as a loss changes the choices.

Question 27

what are the primary causes of our inability to estimate risk correctly

Answer 27

avaivabilty and control
avaivability heuristics - mental shortcut where people judge the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind.
Affect heuristic - More weight on outcomes than on likelihood, mental shortcut where people rely on their emotions to make quick judgments and decisions. When individuals feel positively about something, they tend to perceive its risks as low and its benefits as high, and vice versa.
Fundamental need for control
- Illusion of control
- People tolerate more risk when they feel in control (machine a vs b)

Question 28

what is the relationship between trust and knowledge and risk

Answer 28

when knowledge is low trust is necessary to determine relaistic risk

Question 28

key predictors of behavior

Answer 28

• risk perception
• age
• social norm
• trust

Question 29

How does “control” influence risk perception, according to the presentation?

Answer 29

Answer: People tend to tolerate more risk when they feel in control of the situation. The illusion of control can lead individuals to underestimate risks, particularly in scenarios where they believe they can manage the outcome, even if the actual risk remains high.

Question 30

How does political polarization influence the willingness to follow COVID-19 mitigation guidelines, according to the article?

Answer 30

People on the political Left are generally more likely to follow COVID-19 mitigation guidelines, while those on the Right show lower compliance. However, this polarization decreases when the perceived risk of COVID-19 is high, especially when people are exposed to COVID-19-related deaths

Question 31

How do fear and anger affect risk perception differently?

Answer 31

Fear generally amplifies people’s perception of risk, making them see dangers as greater than they are
anger tends to reduce perceived risks, making people feel more in control and less vulnerable to danger.

Question 32

Why are COVID-19-related deaths a more consistent predictor of adherence to mitigation behaviors than infections?

Answer 32

COVID-19 deaths send an unambiguous signal of the severity of the pandemic, prompting people to take the risk more seriously and adhere to safety measures. In contrast, infections may result in varying outcomes, which do not consistently increase perceived risk or compliance.

Question 33

What is the inverse relationship between perceived risk and benefit, according to the article?

Answer 33

People tend to see risk and benefit as inversely related. When they perceive high risk in an activity, they assume its benefits are low, and when they see low risk, they assume the benefits are high. This relationship is largely driven by the affect heuristic, where emotions shape these judgments.