Question 1

You have recently heard of two cases on the news of a person being struck by lightening. Although the odds of getting struck by lightening are low, you easily recall these examples and falsely estimate that your risk is high. This best illustrates the use of the ____________ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

A)   anchoring and adjustment
B)   representativeness
C)   availability
D)   framing C

Question 2

Explain how the use of the anchoring and adjustment heuristic can lead to biased estimates.

Accepted Answer

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic is a cognitive bias in which individuals rely too heavily on the initial piece of information (the "anchor") when making decisions or estimates, and then adjust insufficiently from that anchor. This can lead to biased estimates because the initial anchor may not be a valid or accurate starting point for the decision or estimate.

For example, if someone is asked to estimate the population of a city and is given a high anchor number (e.g. 10 million), they may adjust their estimate upwards from that anchor, even if the actual population is much lower. This can result in an overestimation of the population due to the anchoring effect.

Similarly, if someone is given a low anchor number (e.g. 100,000) for the same population estimate, they may adjust their estimate downwards from that anchor, leading to an underestimation of the population.

In both cases, the use of the anchoring and adjustment heuristic can lead to biased estimates because individuals are not sufficiently adjusting away from the initial anchor, leading to estimates that are skewed in the direction of the anchor.

Overall, the anchoring and adjustment heuristic can lead to biased estimates by causing individuals to rely too heavily on the initial anchor and not adjust enough from that starting point, resulting in estimates that are not accurate or valid.

Question 3

You had your annual job performance review and are disappointed to learn that your boss has given you a poor review. In order to feel better you think to yourself, "at least I did not get fired." This is an example of _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   downward counterfactual thinking
B)   upward counterfactual thinking
C)   biased thinking
D)   the availability heuristic A

Question 4

Last year Joseph was in a serious car accident. He often thinks to himself, "If only I hadn't been driving so fast, maybe the accident would never have happened." This example best illustrates the concept known as _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   biased thinking
B)   counterfactual thinking
C)   maladaptive thinking
D)   overconfidence barrier

Question 5

Compare and contrast automatic and controlled processing. Include information on where each type of processing is housed in the brain. When are you more likely to engage in controlled processing over automatic processing?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast automatic and controlled processing....

Question 6

If a schema is strong and well-developed then you will likely:

Accepted Answer

A)   pay more attention to information consistent with that schema.
B)   pay less attention to information consistent with that schema.
C)   pay more attention to information inconsistent with that schema.
D)   pay the same amount of attention to information consistent and inconsistent with that schema.

Question 7

Using research by Tversky and Kahneman, describe how providing participants with descriptive information affects their use of base rate information. Why can failing to use the base rate result in errors in judgment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using research by Tversky and Kahneman, describe...

Question 8

In a study done on counterfactual thinking, what did researchers find with respect to the satisfaction level of Olympic medalists?

Accepted Answer

A)   Silver medalists were more satisfied than bronze medalists.
B)   Silver and bronze medalists were equally satisfied.
C)   Gold medalists were just as satisfied as bronze and silver medalists.
D)   Bronze medalists were more satisfied than silver medalists.

Question 9

Describe the two types of counterfactual thinking. How may counterfactual thinking be useful?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the two types of counterfactual thinking....

Question 10

Mood dependent memory refers to the fact that we are more likely to remember positive information when in a positive mood and more likely to remember negative information when in a negative mood.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

You are in a car accident. You and your passengers are unharmed, but the car is badly damaged and cannot be repaired. You are upset about the incident. Which of the following is likely to improve your mood?

Accepted Answer

A)   Consider that you will now have to spend hard-earned money on a replacement car
B)   Dwell on aspects of the accident that were your fault, and how you can take future precautions
C)   Talk to others about how embarrassed you are to have caused a car accident
D)   Think about how you and your passengers are safe, when you could have been injured

Question 12

What we remember when in a given mood is influenced in part by what we learned when previously in that mood. This is known as _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   mood congruence effects
B)   mood dependent memory
C)   counterfactual thinking
D)   mood reliant memory

Question 13

Which of the following is the most reasonable explanation for why people rely on mental shortcuts and schemas even though they can lead to biases?

Accepted Answer

A)   Because most people are too lazy to use careful thought when making decisions
B)   Because people are taught to use mental shortcuts in place of careful thought when making decisions
C)   Because the metal energy required for every single decision would be so great that it would be exhausting and inefficient
D)   Because most people are not intelligent enough to use careful thought when making decisions

Question 14

You are trying to convince your friend to go on a trip with you to the beach. You know your friend loves to swim and spend time sunbathing. However, you also know that your friend has a lot of work to do and that her last trip to the beach she was badly sunburned. Based on information about the way the availability heuristic works, what should you say to your friend that would help convince her to go? What should you avoid saying?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are trying to convince your friend...

Question 15

Tversky and Kahneman (1973) asked participants to estimate whether the letter 'R' more often held the first position of words or the third position of words. Most participants incorrectly estimated that the letter 'R' held the first position of words rather than the third position. What is the most plausible explanation for this finding?

Accepted Answer

A)   Participants did not think hard enough.
B)   Participants were able to recall words that started with 'R' more easily.
C)   Participants utilized the framing heuristic.
D)   Participants utilized selective filtering which biased their answers.

Question 16

Paying more attention to sensory information that fits a given schema while at the same time filtering information that is inconsistent is defined as ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   a self-fulfilling prophecy
B)   selective filtering
C)   counterfactual thinking
D)   controlled thinking

Question 17

Information processing that requires careful thought and effort is referred to as____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   controlled processing
B)   simple processing
C)   automatic processing
D)   routine processing

Question 18

Justin is convinced that his girlfriend's parents do not like him. When Justin arrives at their house for a party, he feels so uncomfortable that he does not act in a friendly manner. His girlfriend's parents, in turn, see Justin as rude and antisocial. This example best illustrates ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   a self-fulfilling prophecy
B)   automatic processing
C)   the perseverance effect
D)   controlled processing

Question 19

Automatically created cognitive frameworks that organize and guide how people think about and understand the world are known as:

Accepted Answer

A)   affects.
B)   schemas.
C)   emotions.
D)   premonitions.

Question 20

Define schema and provide an example.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define schema and provide an example....

Exam 3: Social Cognition