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

The tendency to make decisions based on the first piece of information encountered, rather than considering all available information, is known as:

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Framing Effect

  3. Availability Heuristic

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

Anchoring Bias refers to the tendency to make decisions based on the first piece of information encountered, rather than considering all available information.

Multiple choice

Which bias leads individuals to believe that they are less likely to experience negative events than others, even when the evidence suggests otherwise?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Framing Effect

  3. Availability Heuristic

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

Optimism Bias refers to the tendency to believe that one is less likely to experience negative events than others, even when the evidence suggests otherwise.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to suppress or hide emotions in order to conform to societal expectations?

  1. Emotional suppression

  2. Emotional regulation

  3. Emotional intelligence

  4. Emotional labor
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Emotional suppression refers to the conscious effort to inhibit or conceal emotions, often in order to conform to societal expectations or norms.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to experience emotions that are consistent with the situation?

  1. Emotional regulation

  2. Emotional intelligence

  3. Emotional stability

  4. Emotional well-being
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Emotional regulation refers to the ability to manage and control our emotions in a healthy and adaptive way.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon where consumers tend to conform to the behavior or opinions of the majority?

  1. Herd mentality

  2. Bandwagon effect

  3. Peer pressure

  4. Social proof
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The bandwagon effect refers to the tendency of individuals to adopt certain behaviors, beliefs, or products simply because they are popular or widely accepted.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a type of historical bias?

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Hindsight bias

  3. Presentism

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

Objectivity is not a type of historical bias. It is the goal of historical research to be objective and to avoid bias.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to help others in need, even at a personal cost?

  1. Self-sacrifice

  2. Prosocial behavior

  3. Altruism

  4. Empathy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Self-sacrifice is a form of altruism that involves giving up something of value to oneself in order to benefit another person.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to help others who are similar to oneself?

  1. In-group favoritism

  2. Out-group favoritism

  3. Altruism

  4. Empathy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In-group favoritism is a tendency to favor and help people who are similar to oneself, such as members of the same family, friends, or social group.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to help others who are different from oneself?

  1. In-group favoritism

  2. Out-group favoritism

  3. Altruism

  4. Empathy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Out-group favoritism is a tendency to favor and help people who are different from oneself, such as members of different social groups or cultures.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to help others who are in need, regardless of their social status or group affiliation?

  1. Universal altruism

  2. Selective altruism

  3. In-group favoritism

  4. Out-group favoritism
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Universal altruism is a form of altruism in which individuals help others who are in need, regardless of their social status or group affiliation.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the idea that our choices are influenced by our emotions?

  1. Emotional determinism

  2. Affective determinism

  3. Passion determinism

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

Emotional determinism, affective determinism, and passion determinism are all terms used to describe the idea that our choices are influenced by our emotions.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the idea that our choices are influenced by our beliefs and values?

  1. Cognitive determinism

  2. Rational determinism

  3. Intellectual determinism

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

Cognitive determinism, rational determinism, and intellectual determinism are all terms used to describe the idea that our choices are influenced by our beliefs and values.

Multiple choice

How do norms influence our judgments?

  1. By providing us with a framework for understanding the world

  2. By shaping our values and beliefs

  3. By influencing our emotions and desires

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

Norms influence our judgments by providing us with a framework for understanding the world, shaping our values and beliefs, and influencing our emotions and desires.

Multiple choice

The spiral of silence theory suggests that:

  1. People are less likely to express their opinions if they believe that they are in the minority.

  2. People are more likely to express their opinions if they believe that they are in the majority.

  3. People are more likely to change their opinions if they are exposed to new information.

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

The spiral of silence theory suggests that people are less likely to express their opinions if they believe that they are in the minority. This is because they fear social isolation or negative consequences.

Multiple choice

The third-person effect refers to:

  1. The belief that media effects are more likely to occur to other people than to oneself.

  2. The belief that media effects are more likely to occur to oneself than to other people.

  3. The belief that media effects are equally likely to occur to oneself and to other people.

  4. None of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The third-person effect refers to the belief that media effects are more likely to occur to other people than to oneself.