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

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

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Illusory Correlation

  3. Belief Perseverance

  4. Selective Perception
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 while ignoring or discounting contradictory information.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for individuals to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of those they perceive as experts or authorities?

  1. Informational Social Influence

  2. Normative Social Influence

  3. Compliance

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

Informational Social Influence refers to the tendency to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of others who are perceived as knowledgeable or credible.

Multiple choice

Which social psychological concept refers to the tendency for individuals to perceive members of their own social group as more positive and favorable than members of other groups?

  1. In-Group Bias

  2. Out-Group Homogeneity

  3. Social Identity Theory

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

In-Group Bias refers to the tendency to favor and positively evaluate members of one's own social group over members of other groups.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for individuals to change their attitudes and behaviors in response to persuasive messages?

  1. Attitudes and Persuasion

  2. Social Learning Theory

  3. Social Comparison Theory

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

Attitudes and Persuasion refers to the study of how individuals' attitudes and behaviors can be influenced by persuasive messages and techniques.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for individuals to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of those they perceive as experts or authorities?

  1. Informational Social Influence

  2. Normative Social Influence

  3. Compliance

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

Informational Social Influence refers to the tendency to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of others who are perceived as knowledgeable or credible.

Multiple choice

Which social psychological concept refers to the tendency for individuals to perceive members of their own social group as more positive and favorable than members of other groups?

  1. In-Group Bias

  2. Out-Group Homogeneity

  3. Social Identity Theory

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

In-Group Bias refers to the tendency to favor and positively evaluate members of one's own social group over members of other groups.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for individuals to change their attitudes and behaviors in response to persuasive messages?

  1. Attitudes and Persuasion

  2. Social Learning Theory

  3. Social Comparison Theory

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

Attitudes and Persuasion refers to the study of how individuals' attitudes and behaviors can be influenced by persuasive messages and techniques.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for individuals to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of those they perceive as experts or authorities?

  1. Informational Social Influence

  2. Normative Social Influence

  3. Compliance

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

Informational Social Influence refers to the tendency to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of others who are perceived as knowledgeable or credible.

Multiple choice

Which social psychological concept refers to the tendency for individuals to perceive members of their own social group as more positive and favorable than members of other groups?

  1. In-Group Bias

  2. Out-Group Homogeneity

  3. Social Identity Theory

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

In-Group Bias refers to the tendency to favor and positively evaluate members of one's own social group over members of other groups.

Multiple choice

What is the tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors and 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 for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (e.g., skills, abilities) and failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, circumstances).

Multiple choice

Which cognitive bias leads individuals to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs?

  1. Confirmation Bias

  2. Hindsight Bias

  3. Framing Effect

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

Confirmation Bias is the tendency for individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

What is the tendency to perceive ambiguous situations as threatening or dangerous called?

  1. Negativity Bias

  2. Positivity Bias

  3. Optimism Bias

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

Negativity Bias refers to the tendency for individuals to perceive ambiguous situations as threatening or dangerous, often leading to heightened emotional responses.

Multiple choice

Which cognitive bias leads individuals to overestimate the likelihood of rare events?

  1. Availability Heuristic

  2. Representativeness Heuristic

  3. Framing Effect

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

Availability Heuristic refers to the tendency for individuals to overestimate the likelihood of rare events based on their ease of recall or how readily they come to mind.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon of people believing that a political party or group is responsible for a negative outcome, even if there is no evidence to support this belief?

  1. Political scapegoating

  2. Political polarization

  3. Political ideology

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

Political scapegoating is the process of blaming a political party or group for a negative outcome, even if there is no evidence to support this belief. This can be a powerful tool for political manipulation, as it can be used to rally support for a particular party or policy.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the unconscious assumptions and beliefs that shape our perception of the world?

  1. Cultural biases

  2. Stereotypes

  3. Prejudices

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

Cultural biases are the unconscious assumptions and beliefs that shape our perception of the world and influence our interactions with people from different cultures.