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

Which psychological phenomenon refers to the tendency for individuals to conform to the opinions and behaviors of the majority?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social Facilitation

  3. Social Loafing

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

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals in a group suppress their own opinions and conform to the majority view, often leading to flawed decision-making.

Multiple choice

Which psychological phenomenon refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors?

  1. Self-Serving Bias

  2. Confirmation Bias

  3. Hindsight Bias

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

Self-serving bias is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals tend to attribute their successes to internal factors (e.g., skill, effort) and their failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, circumstances).

Multiple choice

Which psychological phenomenon refers to the tendency for individuals to overestimate the importance of their own contributions to a group effort?

  1. Self-Serving Bias

  2. Confirmation Bias

  3. Hindsight Bias

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

Illusion of control is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals overestimate their ability to control events or outcomes, even when they have little or no actual control.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals tend to believe information that confirms their existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Groupthink

  3. Selective Perception

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

Confirmation bias is the tendency for individuals to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs, while disregarding information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals tend to accept information that is consistent with their existing beliefs and reject information that contradicts them?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Groupthink

  3. Selective Perception

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

Confirmation bias is the tendency for individuals to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs, while disregarding information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a source of random error?

  1. Fluctuations in the environment

  2. Variations in the measurement instrument

  3. Changes in the observer's perception

  4. Differences in the participants' responses
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Variations in the measurement instrument are a source of systematic error, not random error.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a source of random error in psychological measurement?

  1. Variations in the participant's mood

  2. Changes in the environment

  3. Defects in the measurement instrument

  4. Differences in the observer's perception
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Defects in the measurement instrument are a source of systematic error, not random error.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the phenomenon in which voters cast their ballots for candidates based on their personal characteristics, such as their gender, race, or religion?

  1. Identity politics

  2. Stereotyping

  3. Priming

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

Identity politics is the phenomenon in which voters cast their ballots for candidates based on their personal characteristics, such as their gender, race, or religion.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which voters change their minds about who to vote for shortly before the election?

  1. Late swing

  2. Bandwagon effect

  3. Herding behavior

  4. Last-minute decision
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Late swing is the phenomenon in which voters change their minds about who to vote for shortly before the election.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the phenomenon in which voters tend to vote for the candidate who is perceived to be winning?

  1. Bandwagon effect

  2. Herding behavior

  3. Conformity bias

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

Bandwagon effect is the phenomenon in which voters tend to vote for the candidate who is perceived to be winning.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which voters tend to vote for candidates who are similar to them in terms of social background and experiences?

  1. Social identity voting

  2. Homophily

  3. In-group favoritism

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

Social identity voting is the phenomenon in which voters tend to vote for candidates who are similar to them in terms of social background and experiences.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which voters tend to vote for candidates who are perceived to be more competent and experienced?

  1. Competence heuristic

  2. Expertise heuristic

  3. Experience heuristic

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

Competence heuristic is the phenomenon in which voters tend to vote for candidates who are perceived to be more competent and experienced.

Multiple choice

What is the tendency to attribute one's own successes to internal factors and one's failures to external factors called?

  1. Self-Serving Bias

  2. Fundamental Attribution Error

  3. Confirmation Bias

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

Self-serving bias refers to the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal factors and negative outcomes to external factors.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to seek out information that confirms one's existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Illusory Correlation

  3. Hindsight Bias

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

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to seek out information that supports one's existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency of individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Selective Perception

  3. Selective Exposure

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

Confirmation Bias is the tendency of individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs.