In cognitive psychology, when people use the representativeness heuristic, which of the following are they most likely to do?

• A. Estimate the likelihood of an event by recalling how easily examples come to mind
• B. Judge the probability of an event based on how much it resembles a typical case
• C. Make decisions by systematically evaluating all available information
• D. Rely on emotional responses rather than logical reasoning

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the representativeness heuristic is a mental shortcut people use to judge probabilities or likelihoods based on how much something resembles a typical example or prototype.
2. Recognize that when using this heuristic, individuals compare the features of the event or object to their mental image of a typical case, rather than using statistical or logical analysis.
3. Note that this heuristic does not involve recalling how easily examples come to mind (which relates to the availability heuristic), nor does it involve systematic evaluation of all information or relying primarily on emotions.
4. Therefore, the key action when using the representativeness heuristic is to judge the probability of an event based on its similarity to a known category or stereotype.
5. Summarize that the representativeness heuristic leads to decisions based on resemblance to typical cases rather than on objective probability or comprehensive information processing.