Social Science

Cognitive Biases and Decision Making

1,902 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

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).

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of the group they belong to, even if they personally disagree with those beliefs or behaviors?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social loafing

  3. Deindividuation

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

Conformity is the tendency for individuals to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of the group they belong to, even if they personally disagree with those beliefs or behaviors.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to perceive themselves and others in a positive light, even when there is evidence to the contrary?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Confirmation bias

  3. Illusion of control

  4. Positive self-regard
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Positive self-regard is the tendency for individuals to perceive themselves and others in a positive light, even when there is evidence to the contrary.

Multiple choice

In sports psychology, what is the term for the tendency for athletes to attribute their successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Fundamental attribution error

  3. Illusion of control

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

Self-serving bias is the tendency for athletes to take credit for their successes while blaming external factors for their failures, which can impact their motivation and self-esteem.

Multiple choice

In sports psychology, what is the term for the tendency for athletes to experience a decrease in performance when they are being observed or evaluated?

  1. Audience effect

  2. Social facilitation

  3. Evaluation apprehension

  4. Performance anxiety
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Evaluation apprehension refers to the anxiety and concern that athletes may experience when they are being observed or evaluated, which can lead to a decline in performance.