1. When did Elvis die? Contributor© POSbase 2004 People may not use the availability heuristic for judging only frequencies (Lichtenstein et al., 1978; Tversky & Kahneman, 1973), but also the date of a past event.heuristicLichtenstein et al., 1978Tversky & Kahneman, 1973 People may use different strategies for judging frequency (Brown, 1995), and they may use availability or other memory assessment strategies if they can not count frequencies or estimate them on an objective basis, such as a weekly rate.availability In a similar vein, people may assess availability in order to judge the date of an event if they do not know its exact date or if they can not estimate the time period on a more objective basis (“it was around my 20th birthday”). The study of Brown et al. (1985):Brown et al. (1985):

2. When did Elvis die? © POSbase 2004 Student respondents had to determine the date of 50 newspaper headlines and they had to report what they knew about the event in question. Half of the headlines:Known events: („Elvis Presley dies“) Other half: Less known events („Freddie Prinze dies“). Half of the respondents: First date, then knowledge about event Other half:First knowledge about event, then date Hypotheses for date estimation if respondents used availability heuristic: 1. Known events are judged as being closer in time than unknown events. 2.If respondents have to report their knowledge, events are judged as being closer in time.

3. © POSbase 2004 Error in date estimation (in months): When did Elvis die?

4. © POSbase 2004 As predicted, respondents judged an event as being closer in time if it was known rather than unknown, and if respondents had to report first what they knew about the event and then the date. The authors concluded that people used the availability heuristic for judging the date of an event. This finding is also relevant for memory effects in survey research (see Schwarz, 1999).memory survey researchSchwarz, 1999 When did Elvis die?

5. © POSbase 2004 When did Elvis die? There are many applications of the availability heuristic in the literature:   Frequency estimates (Tversky & Kahneman., 1973)Tversky & Kahneman., 1973   Frequency estimates of lethal events (Lichtenstein et al., 1978)Lichtenstein et al., 1978   Spontaneous generation of numbers (Kubovy, 1977)   Stereotype formation (Rothbart et al., 1978)   Estimates of one’s share of group work (Ross & Sicoly, 1979)Ross & Sicoly, 1979   Weighing of evidence (Reyes et al., 1980)   Sex Typing (Bem, 1981)   Unrealistic optimism (Weinstein, 1980)   The fundamental attribution error (Ross, 1977)