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 used to describe the tendency for individuals to prefer the status quo and resist change, even when presented with potentially beneficial alternatives?

  1. Status Quo Bias

  2. Loss Aversion

  3. Framing Effect

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

Status quo bias describes the tendency for individuals to prefer the current state of affairs and resist change, even if there are potential benefits to adopting a new alternative.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to be more likely to remember and recall positive information compared to negative information?

  1. Optimism Bias

  2. Confirmation Bias

  3. Availability Heuristic

  4. Framing Effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The availability heuristic describes the tendency for individuals to rely on information that is easily accessible and comes to mind quickly, even if it is not necessarily representative or accurate.

Multiple choice

Which concept in Economic Psychology and Behavioral Economics refers to the tendency for individuals to overweight small probabilities of large gains or losses, leading to risk-taking behavior?

  1. Prospect Theory

  2. Loss Aversion

  3. Framing Effect

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

Prospect theory suggests that individuals evaluate gains and losses differently, overweighting small probabilities of large gains or losses, which can lead to risk-taking behavior.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to be influenced by the actions and behaviors of others, often leading to conformity and herd behavior?

  1. Social Norms

  2. Conformity Bias

  3. Herding Behavior

  4. Status Quo Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Herding behavior refers to the tendency for individuals to follow the actions and behaviors of others, often without fully understanding the reasons behind those actions.

Multiple choice

Which theory in Behavioral Economics proposes that individuals' choices can be influenced by subtle cues and nudges in the environment, without directly restricting their options?

  1. Nudge Theory

  2. Prospect Theory

  3. Bounded Rationality

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

Nudge theory suggests that individuals' choices can be influenced by subtle cues and nudges in the environment, such as the placement of products or the wording of messages, without directly restricting their options.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to overestimate their own abilities and skills, leading to unrealistic expectations and overconfidence?

  1. Optimism Bias

  2. Confirmation Bias

  3. Availability Heuristic

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

Optimism bias refers to the tendency for individuals to overestimate their own abilities and skills, leading to unrealistic expectations and overconfidence.

Multiple choice

Which concept in Economic Psychology and Behavioral Economics refers to the tendency for individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and ignore or discount information that contradicts them?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Framing Effect

  3. Availability Heuristic

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

Confirmation bias describes the tendency for individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and ignore or discount information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to make decisions based on their immediate desires and impulses, rather than considering long-term consequences?

  1. Hyperbolic Discounting

  2. Prospect Theory

  3. Bounded Rationality

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

Hyperbolic discounting refers to the tendency for individuals to place a higher value on immediate rewards compared to future rewards, even if the future rewards are objectively larger.

Multiple choice

What is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals conform to the norms and expectations of their military unit or organization?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social Facilitation

  3. Deindividuation

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

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals conform to the norms and expectations of their group, often leading to poor decision-making.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for individuals to overweight small probabilities and underweight large probabilities?

  1. Risk aversion

  2. Risk seeking

  3. Prospect theory

  4. The framing effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Prospect theory is a behavioral economics theory that describes how individuals make decisions under conditions of uncertainty, and it includes the tendency for individuals to overweight small probabilities and underweight large probabilities.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the belief that one's body is flawed or inadequate?

  1. Body Dysmorphia

  2. Body Neutrality

  3. Body Shaming

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

Body Dysmorphia is the belief that one's body is flawed or inadequate.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where respondents give socially desirable answers to survey questions, even if they do not reflect their true beliefs or opinions?

  1. Social desirability bias

  2. Acquiescence bias

  3. Confirmation bias

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

Social desirability bias occurs when respondents answer survey questions in a way that they believe will make them appear more favorable to the interviewer or society.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the situation where a poll's results are biased due to the way the questions are worded or the order in which they are asked?

  1. Framing effect

  2. Social desirability bias

  3. Acquiescence bias

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

Framing effect refers to the influence of the way a question is worded or the order in which questions are asked on the responses given by respondents.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the situation where a poll's results are biased due to the way the sample is selected?

  1. Sampling error

  2. Response bias

  3. Non-response error

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

Sampling error refers to the bias introduced into a poll's results due to the way the sample is selected.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the situation where a poll's results are biased due to the way the responses are interpreted or coded?

  1. Response bias

  2. Sampling error

  3. Non-response error

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

Response bias refers to the bias introduced into a poll's results due to the way the responses are interpreted or coded.