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 tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors and failures to external factors?

  1. Self-Serving Bias

  2. Confirmation Bias

  3. Optimism Bias

  4. Unconditional Positive Regard
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Self-Serving Bias refers to the tendency to take credit for positive outcomes while blaming external factors for negative ones, a common cognitive bias in human psychology.

Multiple choice

Which cognitive bias is characterized by the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs?

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Hindsight bias

  3. Framing bias

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

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs, while ignoring information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for groups to make riskier decisions than individuals?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social loafing

  3. Deindividuation

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

Groupthink is the tendency for groups to make riskier decisions than individuals, due to a desire for conformity and a lack of critical thinking.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our 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 to attribute our successes to internal factors (e.g., our skills and abilities) and our failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck or difficult circumstances).

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of rare events?

  1. Availability heuristic

  2. Representativeness heuristic

  3. Illusion of control

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

The availability heuristic is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of rare events that are easily recalled from memory.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to underestimate the risks associated with a particular course of action?

  1. Optimism bias

  2. Illusion of control

  3. Confirmation bias

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

Optimism bias is the tendency to underestimate the risks associated with a particular course of action, while overestimating the potential benefits.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a common group dynamic that can influence military decision-making?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social loafing

  3. Deindividuation

  4. Diffusion of responsibility
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Diffusion of responsibility is not typically considered to be a common group dynamic that influences military decision-making, as military personnel are typically held accountable for their actions.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to make decisions based on emotions rather than logic?

  1. Affective heuristic

  2. Intuitive decision-making

  3. Cognitive dissonance

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

The affective heuristic is the tendency to make decisions based on emotions rather than logic, by relying on feelings and gut instincts.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to make decisions based on the way information is presented?

  1. Framing bias

  2. Availability heuristic

  3. Representativeness heuristic

  4. Illusion of control
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Framing bias is the tendency to make decisions based on the way information is presented, with the same information being perceived differently depending on how it is framed.

Multiple choice

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

  1. Self-Serving Bias.

  2. Fundamental Attribution Error.

  3. Confirmation Bias.

  4. Illusion of Control.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Self-Serving Bias refers to the tendency to take credit for positive outcomes while blaming external factors for negative outcomes.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency of individuals to conform to the opinions and behaviors of the majority, even if they disagree?

  1. Groupthink.

  2. Social Loafing.

  3. Diffusion of Responsibility.

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

Groupthink refers to the phenomenon where group members strive for consensus and suppress dissenting opinions, leading to flawed decision-making.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency of individuals to overestimate their own abilities and skills?

  1. Self-Serving Bias.

  2. Fundamental Attribution Error.

  3. Confirmation Bias.

  4. Illusion of Control.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Illusion of Control refers to the tendency to overestimate one's ability to control events or outcomes, even when there is little or no control.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the unconscious and often unintentional biases that can influence decision-making, including in the criminal justice system?

  1. Implicit Bias

  2. Explicit Bias

  3. Racial Profiling

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

Implicit bias refers to the unconscious and often unintentional biases that can influence decision-making, including in the criminal justice system. These biases can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes, even when individuals are not consciously aware of them.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the psychological phenomenon where individuals perceive others based on their clothing choices?

  1. Fashion Stereotyping

  2. Fashion Perception

  3. Fashion Judgment

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

Fashion Stereotyping refers to the tendency to make assumptions and judgments about individuals based on their clothing choices.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency of older adults to focus on positive emotions and minimize negative emotions?

  1. Emotion Regulation

  2. Selective Optimization with Compensation

  3. Positivity Effect

  4. Emotion-Focused Coping
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Positivity Effect refers to the tendency of older adults to experience more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions compared to younger adults.