Psychology MCAT Practice Exam

Which heuristic involves relying on immediate examples that come to mind?

1. Representative heuristic

2. Availability heuristic

3. Anchoring heuristic

4. Framing heuristic

The correct answer is: Availability heuristic

The availability heuristic is a cognitive strategy where individuals make judgments based on how easily examples or instances come to mind. This often leads people to overestimate the likelihood of events that are more memorable or emotionally charged. For instance, after seeing news reports about airplane accidents, a person might overestimate the danger of flying, simply because those examples are immediately accessible in their memory. This heuristic plays a significant role in decision-making processes, influencing perceptions based on recent experiences or vivid examples, rather than on statistical likelihood or comprehensive data. It highlights how our cognitive processes can be influenced by the information that is most salient or recent in our mind, often leading to biases in our judgments.