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

Which psychological principle suggests that individuals tend to perceive outcomes as fairer when they are seen as the result of individual effort and merit, rather than luck or arbitrary factors?

  1. Equity Theory

  2. Procedural Justice

  3. Distributive Justice

  4. Desert Theory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Desert Theory emphasizes the importance of individual effort and merit in determining the fairness of outcomes.

Multiple choice

What is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals tend to favor outcomes that benefit their in-group (e.g., their family, friends, or social group) over outcomes that benefit out-group members?

  1. Social Identity Theory

  2. Self-Interest

  3. Altruism

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

Social Identity Theory suggests that individuals tend to favor outcomes that benefit their in-group, as it enhances their social identity and sense of belonging.

Multiple choice

What is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals tend to perceive outcomes as fairer when they are seen as the result of a fair process, even if the actual distribution of outcomes is unequal?

  1. Procedural Justice

  2. Distributive Justice

  3. Equity Theory

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

Procedural Justice emphasizes the importance of fair and transparent procedures in determining the fairness of outcomes.

Multiple choice

Which psychological principle suggests that individuals tend to perceive outcomes as fairer when they are seen as the result of individual effort and merit, rather than luck or arbitrary factors?

  1. Equity Theory

  2. Procedural Justice

  3. Distributive Justice

  4. Desert Theory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Desert Theory emphasizes the importance of individual effort and merit in determining the fairness of outcomes.

Multiple choice

What is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals tend to favor outcomes that benefit their in-group (e.g., their family, friends, or social group) over outcomes that benefit out-group members?

  1. Social Identity Theory

  2. Self-Interest

  3. Altruism

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

Social Identity Theory suggests that individuals tend to favor outcomes that benefit their in-group, as it enhances their social identity and sense of belonging.

Multiple choice

Which psychological principle suggests that individuals tend to perceive outcomes as fairer when they are seen as the result of a fair process, even if the actual distribution of outcomes is unequal?

  1. Procedural Justice

  2. Distributive Justice

  3. Equity Theory

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

Procedural Justice emphasizes the importance of fair and transparent procedures in determining the fairness of outcomes.

Multiple choice

The tendency for individuals to perceive political information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs is known as:

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Selective perception

  3. Attitude polarization

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

Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. This can lead to a distorted view of reality and make it difficult for individuals to change their minds about political issues.

Multiple choice

The tendency for individuals to conform to the opinions of the majority is known as:

  1. Groupthink

  2. The bandwagon effect

  3. Pluralistic ignorance

  4. Social desirability bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The bandwagon effect is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals adopt the opinions or behaviors of the majority, even if they do not necessarily agree with them. This can be due to a desire to conform to social norms or to avoid being seen as different.

Multiple choice

The tendency for individuals to overestimate the likelihood of rare events is known as:

  1. The availability heuristic

  2. The representativeness heuristic

  3. The anchoring bias

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

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily they can recall examples of that event. This can lead to overestimating the likelihood of rare events and underestimating the likelihood of common events.

Multiple choice

The tendency for individuals to perceive political information in a way that is consistent with their own self-interest is known as:

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Confirmation bias

  3. Selective perception

  4. Motivated reasoning
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Motivated reasoning is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals seek out information that supports their existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. This can lead to a distorted view of reality and make it difficult for individuals to change their minds about political issues.

Multiple choice

The tendency for individuals to perceive political information in a way that is consistent with their own group's beliefs is known as:

  1. Groupthink

  2. The bandwagon effect

  3. Pluralistic ignorance

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

Groupthink is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals in a group suppress their own doubts and opinions in order to conform to the group's consensus. This can lead to poor decision-making and a lack of creativity.

Multiple choice

The tendency for individuals to perceive political information in a way that is consistent with their own personality traits is known as:

  1. Personality-based perception

  2. Selective perception

  3. Motivated reasoning

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

Personality-based perception is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals perceive political information in a way that is consistent with their own personality traits. This can lead to a distorted view of reality and make it difficult for individuals to change their minds about political issues.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which people with mental illness are more likely to be portrayed in the media than people without mental illness?

  1. Media bias

  2. Media overrepresentation

  3. Media sensationalism

  4. Media framing
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Media overrepresentation is the phenomenon in which people with mental illness are more likely to be portrayed in the media than people without mental illness.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which people with mental illness are more likely to be portrayed as incompetent or unable to work than people without mental illness?

  1. Media bias

  2. Media overrepresentation

  3. Media sensationalism

  4. Media framing
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Media framing is the phenomenon in which people with mental illness are more likely to be portrayed as incompetent or unable to work than people without mental illness.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon in which people with mental illness are more likely to be portrayed as unpredictable or irrational than people without mental illness?

  1. Media bias

  2. Media overrepresentation

  3. Media sensationalism

  4. Media framing
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Media framing is the phenomenon in which people with mental illness are more likely to be portrayed as unpredictable or irrational than people without mental illness.