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 for individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and avoid information that challenges them is known as:

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Selective perception

  3. Groupthink

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

Confirmation bias is the tendency for individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and avoid information that challenges them.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the relatively stable set of perceptions and beliefs that an individual has about themselves?

  1. Self-Esteem

  2. Self-Concept

  3. Self-Identity

  4. Self-Awareness
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Self-concept refers to the individual's overall perception and evaluation of themselves, encompassing their beliefs, attitudes, and values.

Multiple choice

The tendency to view oneself in a positive light, even in the face of negative evidence, is known as:

  1. Self-Esteem

  2. Self-Enhancement Bias

  3. Self-Serving Bias

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

Self-enhancement bias refers to the tendency for individuals to view themselves in a more positive light than they actually are, often leading to a distorted self-perception.

Multiple choice

The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors is known as:

  1. Self-Serving Bias

  2. Fundamental Attribution Error

  3. Illusory Correlation

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

Self-serving bias refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (e.g., ability, effort) and their failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, circumstances).

Multiple choice

What is the term for the postmodern tendency to embrace ambiguity, uncertainty, and paradox?

  1. Indeterminacy

  2. Open-endedness

  3. Contingency

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

Postmodernism is characterized by an embrace of ambiguity, uncertainty, and paradox, rejecting the idea of fixed and absolute truths and embracing the contingent and open-ended nature of reality.

Multiple choice

What is peer pressure?

  1. The influence exerted by a peer group on an individual

  2. The desire to conform to the expectations of one's peers

  3. The fear of being rejected or excluded by one's peers

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

Peer pressure is the influence exerted by a peer group on an individual. It can be positive or negative, and it can lead to conformity, deviance, or a combination of both.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency to focus on positive aspects of life and experiences?

  1. Positive bias

  2. Optimism bias

  3. Pollyanna principle

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

Optimism bias refers to the tendency for individuals to believe that they are less likely to experience negative events and more likely to experience positive events than others. It is a cognitive bias that can lead to unrealistic expectations and decision-making.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency to focus on negative aspects of life and experiences?

  1. Negative bias

  2. Pessimism bias

  3. Cynicism

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

Negative bias refers to the tendency for individuals to pay more attention to and remember negative information compared to positive information. This cognitive bias can lead to a distorted view of reality and contribute to negative emotions and thoughts.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for people to seek out and remember information that confirms their existing beliefs?

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Selective perception

  3. Illusory correlation

  4. Fundamental attribution error
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Confirmation bias is the tendency for people to seek out and remember information that confirms their existing beliefs, while ignoring or downplaying information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for people to attribute their own successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Fundamental attribution error

  3. Illusory correlation

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

Self-serving bias is the tendency for people to attribute their own successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for people to overestimate the importance of their own personal qualities and abilities?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Fundamental attribution error

  3. Illusory correlation

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

Self-serving bias is the tendency for people to overestimate the importance of their own personal qualities and abilities.

Multiple choice

What is the framing effect in Utility Theory?

  1. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by the way in which options are presented.

  2. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by the amount of information they have about the options.

  3. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by the social context in which they make decisions.

  4. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by their emotions.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The framing effect is the tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by the way in which options are presented, such as whether they are framed as gains or losses or whether they are presented as certain or uncertain.

Multiple choice

What is the anchoring effect in Utility Theory?

  1. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by an initial piece of information or reference point.

  2. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by the opinions of others.

  3. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by their past experiences.

  4. The tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by their emotions.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The anchoring effect is the tendency of individuals' preferences to be influenced by an initial piece of information or reference point, such as a starting price or a suggested value.

Multiple choice

Which psychological phenomenon refers to the tendency for individuals to perceive ambiguous or abstract stimuli in a way that is consistent with their expectations, beliefs, or desires?

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Illusion of control

  3. Cognitive dissonance

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

Selective perception is the tendency for individuals to perceive information in a way that is consistent with their expectations, beliefs, or desires, often ignoring or downplaying information that contradicts their existing views.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (such as their own abilities or efforts) and their failures to external factors (such as bad luck or difficult circumstances)?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Confirmation bias

  3. Illusion of control

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

Self-serving bias is the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (such as their own abilities or efforts) and their failures to external factors (such as bad luck or difficult circumstances).