6 Cognitive Biases and Judgment Online Quiz Questions

True or false: The fact that people use heuristics and sometimes show cognitive biases proves that people are irrational.

After seeing vivid reports of a rare accident, a person estimates that the accident is much more common than it really is. Which bias best explains this judgment?

A shopper sees an unusually high suggested price and then judges a still-high price to be reasonable. What bias is influencing the shopper?

A patient finds a treatment more appealing when told it has a “90% survival rate” than when told it has a “10% death rate.” Which bias best explains the difference in appeal?

Select all statements supported by the material about how biases can affect belief.

True or false: If someone identifies a bias that may have influenced a claim, that alone proves the claim is false.

After learning the result of an election, someone says it was obvious all along that the winner would prevail. What bias does this illustrate?

A person thinks someone is likely to work in a particular profession because they fit a familiar stereotype, but ignores that the profession is rare compared with other jobs. Which bias best describes this reasoning?

Select all practices that can help make judgments more testable and reduce the influence of bias.

You believe a new study method improves your test results. Describe a practical way to check that belief while reducing the risk of confirmation bias and overconfidence. Include how you would treat evidence that challenges your belief and how you would assess your confidence over time.

A person first accepts an arbitrary forecast as a starting point, then looks mainly for evidence supporting it, and becomes unusually certain of the result. Which sequence best matches this pattern?

A vivid story about a rare danger makes someone think that danger is common, even though its actual frequency has not changed. Is this an example of the availability heuristic?

A patient finds a treatment more appealing when told it has a “90% survival rate” than when told it has a “10% death rate,” though the figures describe the same outcome. Which bias best explains this difference?

A student believes a new study method works. They remember the tests where it helped but do not compare them with tests where it did not. Which bias is most directly illustrated?

A shopper sees a very high suggested price and then regards a still-high price as reasonable. Which bias is at work, and what action could help reduce its influence?

After learning who won an uncertain election, someone says the winner was obviously going to win all along. Which bias best fits this reaction?

After a project succeeds, a team member remembers having expected its success, even though the outcome was uncertain beforehand. What is this tendency called?

You favor one explanation for a problem and want to test it fairly. What practical strategy asks you to seek observations that would count against your favored explanation?