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

According to research, how does the presence of strong emotions affect the accuracy of witness testimony?

  1. It increases accuracy.

  2. It decreases accuracy.

  3. It has no effect on accuracy.

  4. The effect depends on the specific emotion.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Research has shown that the presence of strong emotions, such as anger or fear, can impair the accuracy of witness testimony. This is because emotions can interfere with attention, memory, and decision-making.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which emotions can spread from one person to another?

  1. Emotional contagion

  2. Emotional hijacking

  3. Emotional intelligence

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

Emotional contagion is the phenomenon in which emotions can spread from one person to another. This can happen through facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which people tend to make decisions that are consistent with their emotions?

  1. Emotional reasoning

  2. Emotional contagion

  3. Emotional hijacking

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

Emotional reasoning is the phenomenon in which people tend to make decisions that are consistent with their emotions. This can lead to biased and irrational decisions, as emotions can cloud judgment and make it difficult to think clearly.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which people tend to make decisions that are consistent with their emotions?

  1. Emotional reasoning

  2. Emotional contagion

  3. Emotional hijacking

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

Emotional reasoning is the phenomenon in which people tend to make decisions that are consistent with their emotions. This can lead to biased and irrational decisions, as emotions can cloud judgment and make it difficult to think clearly.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a key concept in language and economic psychology?

  1. Framing

  2. Anchoring

  3. Loss aversion

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

Cognitive dissonance is a concept from social psychology, not language and economic psychology.

Multiple choice

What is anchoring?

  1. The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information received.

  2. The tendency to adjust one's beliefs or estimates in light of new information.

  3. The tendency to make decisions based on emotions rather than logic.

  4. The tendency to overestimate the likelihood of rare events.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Anchoring is the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information received, even when it is irrelevant or misleading.

Multiple choice

What is the endowment effect?

  1. The tendency to place a higher value on objects that we own.

  2. The tendency to overestimate the value of our own possessions.

  3. The tendency to be more willing to sell an object if we have a higher purchase price for it.

  4. The tendency to be more willing to buy an object if we have a lower purchase price for it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The endowment effect is the tendency to place a higher value on objects that we own, even if they are objectively worth less than what we paid for them.

Multiple choice

What is the framing effect?

  1. The tendency to make different decisions depending on how the options are presented.

  2. The tendency to overestimate the value of our own possessions.

  3. The tendency to be more willing to sell an object if we have a higher purchase price for it.

  4. The tendency to be more willing to buy an object if we have a lower purchase price for it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The framing effect is the tendency to make different decisions depending on how the options are presented, even if the underlying options are the same.

Multiple choice

What is the status quo bias?

  1. The tendency to prefer the current state of affairs, even if it is not the best option.

  2. The tendency to overestimate the value of our own possessions.

  3. The tendency to be more willing to sell an object if we have a higher purchase price for it.

  4. The tendency to be more willing to buy an object if we have a lower purchase price for it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The status quo bias is the tendency to prefer the current state of affairs, even if it is not the best option, because it is familiar and comfortable.

Multiple choice

What is the decoy effect?

  1. The tendency to choose an option that is clearly inferior to another option.

  2. The tendency to overestimate the value of our own possessions.

  3. The tendency to be more willing to sell an object if we have a higher purchase price for it.

  4. The tendency to be more willing to buy an object if we have a lower purchase price for it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The decoy effect is the tendency to choose an option that is clearly inferior to another option, when a third option is introduced that is even worse.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for people to focus on negative information and experiences?

  1. Negativity Bias

  2. Positivity Bias

  3. Confirmation Bias

  4. Illusion of Control

  5. Optimism Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Negativity Bias refers to the tendency for individuals to pay more attention to and remember negative information compared to positive information.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for people to overestimate their ability to control events?

  1. Illusion of Control

  2. Optimism Bias

  3. Confirmation Bias

  4. Negativity Bias

  5. Positivity Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Illusion of Control refers to the tendency for individuals to believe they have more control over outcomes than they actually do.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for people to remember positive experiences more vividly and for a longer duration than negative experiences?

  1. Positivity Bias

  2. Negativity Bias

  3. Confirmation Bias

  4. Illusion of Control

  5. Optimism Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Positivity Bias refers to the tendency for individuals to remember and focus on positive experiences more than negative ones.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for people to believe that good things are more likely to happen to them than to others?

  1. Optimism Bias

  2. Negativity Bias

  3. Confirmation Bias

  4. Illusion of Control

  5. Positivity Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A 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 compared to others.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for people to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Negativity Bias

  3. Positivity Bias

  4. Illusion of Control

  5. Optimism Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Confirmation Bias refers to the tendency for individuals to seek out information that supports their existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them.