Social Science

Cognitive Biases and Decision Making

1,880 Questions

Explore a curated set of questions on cognitive biases, decision making, and behavioral economics. These concepts evaluate how social norms, emotions, and heuristics influence human judgment and group behavior. Master these topics to build a strong foundation for psychology and social science exams.

Behavioral economicsSocial group influencesEmotional decision makingConfirmation bias

Cognitive Biases and Decision Making Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a common emotional factor that can lead to the hot hand fallacy?

  1. Fear of missing out

  2. Greed

  3. Overconfidence

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Fear of missing out, greed, and overconfidence can all lead to the hot hand fallacy, which is the belief that one is on a winning streak, and that this streak is likely to continue.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon where people experience a distorted perception of their own body size and shape?

  1. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

  2. Body Image Distortion

  3. Media-Induced Body Dissatisfaction

  4. Fashion-Related Body Anxiety
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Body Image Distortion refers to the distorted perception of one's own body size and shape, often leading to negative body image and dissatisfaction.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon where people experience a distorted perception of their own body size and shape?

  1. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

  2. Body Image Distortion

  3. Media-Induced Body Dissatisfaction

  4. Fashion-Related Body Anxiety
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Body Image Distortion refers to the distorted perception of one's own body size and shape, often leading to negative body image and dissatisfaction.

Multiple choice

Which psychological concept is frequently utilized in horror stories to create a sense of dread and paranoia?

  1. Cognitive Dissonance

  2. Confirmation Bias

  3. Uncanny Valley

  4. Dunning-Kruger Effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Uncanny Valley concept, referring to the unsettling feeling evoked by entities that appear almost, but not quite, human, is often used to create a sense of dread and paranoia in horror stories.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the psychological phenomenon of feeling watched or observed, even in the absence of any physical evidence?

  1. Déjà Vu

  2. Pareidolia

  3. Voyeurism

  4. Scopophobia
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Scopophobia refers to the intense fear of being watched or observed, often leading to feelings of paranoia and anxiety.

Multiple choice

How does expertise influence our judgments and evaluations?

  1. Expertise provides us with specialized knowledge and skills, enabling more accurate assessments.

  2. Expertise can lead to confirmation bias, causing us to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs.

  3. Expertise can make us overly reliant on established norms and conventions, limiting our creativity.

  4. All of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Expertise has both positive and negative effects on our judgments, enhancing accuracy while also introducing potential biases and limitations.

Multiple choice

How does personal experience influence our judgments and evaluations?

  1. Personal experience provides us with concrete examples and anecdotes that shape our beliefs and attitudes.

  2. Personal experience can lead to confirmation bias, causing us to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs.

  3. Personal experience can make us overly reliant on our own subjective perspectives, limiting our ability to consider alternative viewpoints.

  4. All of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Personal experience has both positive and negative effects on our judgments and evaluations, providing valuable insights while also introducing potential biases and limitations.

Multiple choice

What is the psychological phenomenon that explains why consumers are more likely to purchase products endorsed by celebrities or influencers?

  1. Celebrity worship syndrome

  2. Bandwagon effect

  3. Social proof

  4. Mere exposure effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Social proof is the psychological phenomenon that explains why consumers are more likely to purchase products endorsed by celebrities or influencers. It is based on the idea that people tend to conform to the actions and behaviors of others, especially those they perceive as experts or role models.

Multiple choice

What is the phenomenon where we tend to focus on stimuli that are personally relevant to us called?

  1. Cocktail party effect

  2. Stroop effect

  3. Attentional bias

  4. Priming effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Attentional bias refers to the tendency to focus on stimuli that are personally relevant or emotionally significant to us, even when they are not directly related to the task at hand.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of an attentional bias?

  1. A student paying more attention to the professor's lecture when it relates to their major

  2. A parent being more attentive to their child's needs than to other children's needs

  3. A sports fan being more focused on their favorite team's game than on other games

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Attentional biases can be positive, directing our attention towards beneficial information, or negative, leading us to focus on negative or threatening stimuli.

Multiple choice

What is the phenomenon where we tend to focus on negative or threatening stimuli more than positive or neutral stimuli called?

  1. Cocktail party effect

  2. Stroop effect

  3. Attentional bias

  4. Priming effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Attentional bias towards negative stimuli is a common phenomenon, often referred to as negativity bias. It refers to our tendency to focus on negative or threatening information more readily than positive or neutral information.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of an attentional bias towards negative stimuli?

  1. A student being more attentive to negative feedback on their assignment than to positive feedback

  2. A news viewer being more drawn to stories about disasters than to stories about positive events

  3. A person being more likely to remember negative experiences than positive experiences

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Attentional bias towards negative stimuli can influence our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, sometimes leading to anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon where we tend to focus on stimuli that are presented repeatedly or frequently?

  1. Cocktail party effect

  2. Stroop effect

  3. Attentional bias

  4. Priming effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Priming effect refers to the phenomenon where our attention is drawn to stimuli that have been recently presented or encountered. This can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, making us more likely to notice and respond to similar stimuli in the future.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a priming effect?

  1. A student being more likely to answer a question correctly after seeing a related concept in a lecture

  2. A person being more likely to buy a product after seeing an advertisement for it

  3. A driver being more likely to notice a certain type of car after seeing it in a movie

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Priming effects can be used in various contexts, such as advertising, education, and psychology, to influence people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon where we tend to focus on stimuli that are presented in a salient or distinctive manner?

  1. Cocktail party effect

  2. Stroop effect

  3. Attentional bias

  4. Salience effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Salience effect refers to the phenomenon where our attention is drawn to stimuli that stand out from their surroundings due to their brightness, color, size, or other distinctive features.