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 process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to make sense of the environment is known as:

  1. Sensation

  2. Perception

  3. Cognition

  4. Attention

  5. Memory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to make sense of the environment.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the theory that states that television can cause people to believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is?

  1. The Mean World Syndrome

  2. The Cultivation Theory

  3. The Social Learning Theory

  4. The Agenda-Setting Theory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Mean World Syndrome states that people who watch a lot of television are more likely to believe that the world is a dangerous place, even if their own personal experiences do not support this belief.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where an individual can influence the outcome of a random event through mental focus?

  1. Psychokinesis

  2. Precognition

  3. Retrocognition

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

Psychokinesis, or PK, is the ability to influence the outcome of a random event through mental focus, such as influencing the fall of dice or the movement of objects.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the ability to perceive information about a future event before it occurs?

  1. Precognition

  2. Retrocognition

  3. Clairvoyance

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

Precognition is the ability to perceive information about a future event before it occurs, often through dreams, visions, or intuitive feelings.

Multiple choice

Which of the following illusions demonstrates the influence of context on size perception?

  1. The Ebbinghaus illusion

  2. The Ponzo illusion

  3. The Müller-Lyer illusion

  4. The Delboeuf illusion
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Ebbinghaus illusion is a classic example of how context can influence size perception. In this illusion, a central circle is surrounded by a ring of smaller circles. The central circle appears larger than it actually is because it is surrounded by the smaller circles.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to perceive objects that are closer to us as being larger than objects that are farther away?

  1. Size constancy

  2. Size invariance

  3. Size scaling

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

Size constancy is the tendency to perceive objects that are closer to us as being larger than objects that are farther away, even though their retinal images are the same size. This is because our brains take into account the distance between the object and the observer when estimating its size.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to perceive objects that are higher in our visual field as being larger than objects that are lower in our visual field?

  1. Vertical size illusion

  2. Horizontal size illusion

  3. Oblique size illusion

  4. Radial size illusion
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The vertical size illusion is the tendency to perceive objects that are higher in our visual field as being larger than objects that are lower in our visual field. This is because our brains tend to overestimate the size of objects that are farther away from us.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to perceive objects that are moving towards us as being larger than objects that are moving away from us?

  1. Motion size illusion

  2. Looming effect

  3. Receding effect

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

The looming effect is the tendency to perceive objects that are moving towards us as being larger than objects that are moving away from us. This is because the retinal image of an object that is moving towards us is getting larger, while the retinal image of an object that is moving away from us is getting smaller.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to perceive objects that are more familiar to us as being larger than objects that are less familiar?

  1. Familiarity size illusion

  2. Novelty size illusion

  3. Recognition size illusion

  4. Experience size illusion
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The familiarity size illusion is the tendency to perceive objects that are more familiar to us as being larger than objects that are less familiar. This is because our brains have a tendency to associate familiar objects with larger sizes.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to perceive objects that are surrounded by smaller objects as being larger than objects that are surrounded by larger objects?

  1. Contrast size illusion

  2. Surround size illusion

  3. Context size illusion

  4. Relative size illusion
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The surround size illusion is the tendency to perceive objects that are surrounded by smaller objects as being larger than objects that are surrounded by larger objects. This is because our brains tend to compare the size of an object to the size of the objects that are around it.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a size-weight illusion?

  1. Perceiving a heavy object as being larger than a light object

  2. Perceiving a dense object as being larger than a less dense object

  3. Perceiving a solid object as being larger than a hollow object

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

All of the above are examples of size-weight illusions. Size-weight illusions occur when we perceive an object as being larger than it actually is because it is heavy, dense, or solid.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to perceive objects that are presented in an upright orientation as being larger than objects that are presented in an inverted orientation?

  1. Vertical size illusion

  2. Horizontal size illusion

  3. Oblique size illusion

  4. Upright-inverted size illusion
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The upright-inverted size illusion is the tendency to perceive objects that are presented in an upright orientation as being larger than objects that are presented in an inverted orientation. This is because our brains have a tendency to associate upright objects with larger sizes.

Multiple choice

Which concept refers to the tendency of older adults to focus on the past and reminisce about their younger years?

  1. Reminiscence

  2. Nostalgia

  3. Retrospection

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

Reminiscence is the process of recalling and sharing memories from one's past, often associated with older adults reflecting on their life experiences.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency of media to focus on negative or sensational aspects of a particular group or issue?

  1. Negativity Bias

  2. Sensationalism

  3. Framing

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

Negativity Bias refers to the media's inclination to prioritize negative or alarming news over positive or neutral stories.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a common type of cognitive bias that can affect human decision-making in human-machine systems?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Hindsight Bias

  3. Framing Effect

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

Hindsight Bias is the tendency to believe that an event was more predictable than it actually was, which is not typically considered a cognitive bias in Human Factors and Engineering Psychology.