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 for parents to invest more resources in their firstborn child compared to subsequent children?

  1. Primogeniture

  2. Birth Order Effect

  3. Parental Favoritism

  4. Parental Investment Bias
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Birth Order Effect refers to the tendency for parents to invest more resources in their firstborn child compared to subsequent children. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as lack of experience, financial constraints, or cultural norms.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency for parents to provide more resources and support to their children who are perceived as having higher reproductive potential?

  1. Parental Investment Bias

  2. Birth Order Effect

  3. Parental Favoritism

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

Parental Investment Bias refers to the tendency for parents to provide more resources and support to their children who are perceived as having higher reproductive potential. This can be based on factors such as the child's sex, health, or intelligence.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to focus on negative thoughts and outcomes during a badminton match?

  1. Catastrophizing

  2. Negative self-talk

  3. All-or-nothing thinking

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Catastrophizing, negative self-talk, and all-or-nothing thinking are all terms used to describe the tendency to focus on negative thoughts and outcomes during a badminton match.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the tendency to overthink and analyze your performance during a badminton match?

  1. Paralysis by analysis

  2. Overthinking

  3. Excessive self-focus

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Paralysis by analysis, overthinking, and excessive self-focus are all terms used to describe the tendency to overthink and analyze your performance during a badminton match.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the phenomenon where individuals are more likely to perceive attractive people as possessing positive qualities?

  1. Halo Effect

  2. Beauty Bias

  3. Physical Attractiveness Stereotype

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

The Halo Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to form an overall positive impression of someone based on their physical attractiveness, attributing positive qualities to them.

Multiple choice

The tendency to compare oneself to others is known as:

  1. Social comparison

  2. Self-evaluation

  3. Self-awareness

  4. Self-concept
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Social comparison involves comparing oneself to others in terms of various aspects, such as appearance, achievements, or social status.

Multiple choice

The tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors and one's failures to external factors is known as:

  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 is the tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors (e.g., ability, effort) and one's failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, difficult circumstances).

Multiple choice

The tendency to remember information that confirms one's existing beliefs and forget information that contradicts them is known as:

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Illusory correlation

  3. Self-serving bias

  4. Fundamental attribution error
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and remember information that confirms one's existing beliefs and to ignore or forget information that contradicts them.

Multiple choice

The tendency to perceive oneself as being better than average is known as:

  1. Illusory superiority

  2. Self-serving bias

  3. Confirmation bias

  4. Fundamental attribution error
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Illusory superiority is the tendency to perceive oneself as being better than average in various domains, even when objective evidence suggests otherwise.

Multiple choice

The tendency to attribute one's successes to external factors and one's failures to internal factors is known as:

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Fundamental attribution error

  3. Confirmation bias

  4. Illusory correlation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors (e.g., ability, effort) and one's failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, difficult circumstances).

Multiple choice

Which psychological principle plays a significant role in shaping eyewitness testimony?

  1. Confirmation bias

  2. Hindsight bias

  3. Illusory correlation

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

Confirmation bias, a cognitive bias, influences eyewitness testimony by leading individuals to interpret and recall information in a manner that confirms their initial beliefs or expectations.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the tendency for individuals to conform to the opinions or behaviors of a group?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social loafing

  3. Diffusion of responsibility

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

Groupthink refers to the phenomenon where individuals in a group suppress their own opinions or doubts to conform to the perceived consensus of the group.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals tend to attribute their successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Fundamental attribution error

  3. Illusory superiority

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

Self-serving bias is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (e.g., skills, abilities) and their failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, unfair circumstances).

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals tend to perceive themselves as more moral and ethical than others?

  1. Illusory superiority

  2. Self-serving bias

  3. Fundamental attribution error

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

Illusory superiority is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to overestimate their own abilities, skills, and moral qualities compared to others.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals tend to conform to the opinions or behaviors of a group, even if they privately disagree?

  1. Groupthink

  2. Social loafing

  3. Diffusion of responsibility

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

Groupthink is a phenomenon where individuals in a group suppress their own opinions or doubts to conform to the perceived consensus of the group.