How the Mind Works Decision

A professor likes to write poetry, is rather shy, and is small in stature. Which of the following is his field: 1) Chinese studies 2) Psychology

What is the most likely sequence for the next six new babies born in the U.S.? (B = boy, G = girl) 1) BBBBBB 2) GGGBBB 3) GBBGGB

Which of the following do more people die of: motor vehicle accidents or Stroke

Which of the following do more people die of: homicide or diabetes

Heuristics and Bias

Heuristics are simple rules. Although their automatic use often results in easy and quick decisions, they are also responsible for much bias.

The Representative Heuristic

Representative heuristic: Judgments are biased by our assessment of the degree to which the salient features of specific instances resemble general categories.

What is the most likely sequence for the next six new babies born in the U.S.? (B = boy, G = girl) 1) BBBBBB 2) GGGBBB 3) GBBGGB

What is the most likely sequence for the next six new babies born in the U.S.? (B = boy, G = girl) BBBBBB or all equal 1) BBBBBB or all equal 2) GGGBBB 3) GBBGGB

A professor likes to write poetry, is rather shy, and is small in stature. Which of the following is his field: 1) Chinese studies 2) Psychology

A professor likes to write poetry, is rather shy, and is small in stature. Which of the following is his field: 1) Chinese studies Psychology 2) Psychology

The Availability Heuristic

Availability heuristic: Judgments are biased by how easily specific examples are recalled. Easier = more frequent or more causally related. What is in our short-term memories affects our decisions.

Which of the following do more people die of: motor vehicle accidents or Stroke

Which of the following do more people die of: motor vehicle accidents orStroke

Which of the following do more people die of: homicide or diabetes

Which of the following do more people die of: homicide ordiabetes

Are there more words that begin with the letter "r" or that have "r" as the third letter?

There more words that have "r" as the third letter. word first partial care street derail

V

Schematic Processing

Schemas: Conscious or unconscious assumptions, beliefs, & theories. Our associative networks & preconceptions (innate & learned).

Which schemata are activated influence our perceptions, our memories, our decisions, and our experience. Schemata guide constructive and reconstructive processes.

For different individuals some schemata are more easily activated than others. Higher activation means greater availability. We tend to view our own and other’s personalities through the lenses of our beliefs and assumptions (i.e., our schemata). Independence loyalty friendliness

One schema that has been investigated is: The belief in a just world People with this schema tend to blame the victim in a situation. The Just World Phenomenon