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 phenomenon where individuals tend to form social ties with others who are similar to them in terms of values and beliefs?

  1. Value homophily

  2. Heterophily

  3. Social attraction

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

Value homophily refers to the tendency of individuals to form social ties with others who are similar to them in terms of values and beliefs.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the psychological state in which an individual experiences an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others?

  1. Psychopathy

  2. Narcissism

  3. Antisocial Personality Disorder

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

Narcissism is a personality disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others.

Multiple choice

What is bias?

  1. A preference for one thing over another

  2. A prejudice or inclination in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another

  3. A belief or opinion that is not based on reason or evidence

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

Bias is a prejudice or inclination in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another.

Multiple choice

How can bias affect the way that people evaluate information?

  1. It can lead people to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs

  2. It can lead people to ignore information that contradicts their existing beliefs

  3. It can lead people to interpret information in a way that supports their existing beliefs

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

Bias can affect the way that people evaluate information in a number of ways. It can lead people to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs, to ignore information that contradicts their existing beliefs, and to interpret information in a way that supports their existing beliefs.

Multiple choice

Which psychoanalytic concept refers to the unconscious defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously redirects unacceptable or threatening thoughts or feelings toward a less threatening object or person?

  1. Projection

  2. Repression

  3. Sublimation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Projection is a defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own unacceptable or threatening thoughts or feelings to someone else.

Multiple choice

The tendency to perceive objects as being grouped together based on their proximity, similarity, or continuity is known as:

  1. Gestalt principles

  2. Perceptual organization

  3. Figure-ground segregation

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

Gestalt principles are a set of principles that describe how humans tend to perceive objects as being grouped together based on their proximity, similarity, or continuity.

Multiple choice

The tendency to perceive objects as being more similar to each other than they actually are is known as:

  1. Assimilation

  2. Contrast

  3. Perceptual set

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

Assimilation is the tendency to perceive objects as being more similar to each other than they actually are.

Multiple choice

The tendency to perceive objects as being more different from each other than they actually are is known as:

  1. Assimilation

  2. Contrast

  3. Perceptual set

  4. Cognitive dissonance
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Contrast is the tendency to perceive objects as being more different from each other than they actually are.

Multiple choice

The tendency to perceive objects in a way that is consistent with our expectations is known as:

  1. Assimilation

  2. Contrast

  3. Perceptual set

  4. Cognitive dissonance
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Perceptual set is the tendency to perceive objects in a way that is consistent with our expectations.

Multiple choice

The tendency to experience discomfort or tension when our beliefs or expectations are challenged is known as:

  1. Assimilation

  2. Contrast

  3. Perceptual set

  4. Cognitive dissonance
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Cognitive dissonance is the tendency to experience discomfort or tension when our beliefs or expectations are challenged.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a type of attentional bias?

  1. Negativity bias

  2. Positivity bias

  3. Confirmation bias

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

Positivity bias is not a type of attentional bias, but rather a cognitive bias that leads us to focus on positive information more than negative information.

Multiple choice

Which cognitive bias is characterized by the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events that are vivid and emotionally charged?

  1. Availability heuristic

  2. Confirmation bias

  3. Framing effect

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

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that occurs when people make judgments based on the ease with which information comes to mind. This can lead to overestimating the likelihood of events that are vivid and emotionally charged, even if they are statistically rare.

Multiple choice

In the context of consumer behavior, what is the term for the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal factors and negative outcomes to external factors?

  1. Self-serving bias

  2. Confirmation bias

  3. Framing effect

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

The self-serving bias is a cognitive bias that occurs when people attribute positive outcomes to their own internal factors, such as their skills or abilities, and negative outcomes to external factors, such as bad luck or other people's actions.

Multiple choice

Which cognitive principle suggests that people are more likely to remember information that is presented at the beginning or end of a list?

  1. Serial position effect

  2. Primacy effect

  3. Recency effect

  4. Von Restorff effect
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The serial position effect is a cognitive principle that describes the tendency for people to remember items that are presented at the beginning or end of a list better than items that are presented in the middle. This effect is caused by the primacy effect and the recency effect.

Multiple choice

Which cognitive principle suggests that people are more likely to pay attention to information that is relevant to their current goals or needs?

  1. Selective attention

  2. Divided attention

  3. Sustained attention

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

Selective attention is the cognitive principle that suggests that people are more likely to pay attention to information that is relevant to their current goals or needs. This is because the brain is limited in its capacity to process information, so it must focus on the most relevant information in order to make decisions and take action.