Question 1

According to foraging theory, how do both animals and humans typically allocate their time when searching for resources?

Accepted Answer

They allocate more time to exploiting rich patches, considering the costs and potential payoffs.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the gambler’s fallacy?

Accepted Answer

The belief that the probability of an event increases if it has not occurred recently.

Question 3

A coin is flipped five times and lands on heads each time. What is the probability that the next flip will be tails?

Accepted Answer

$$P(	ext{tails}) = 0.5$$

Question 4

Which heuristic is demonstrated when people judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples come to mind?

Accepted Answer

Availability heuristic

Question 5

In the Linda problem, why do many people incorrectly choose 'Linda is a bank teller and active in the feminist movement' as more likely than 'Linda is a bank teller'?

Accepted Answer

Because of the representativeness heuristic, which leads them to judge probability based on similarity to a stereotype.

Question 6

Which type of rationality assumes no limits on knowledge, energy, or time, and considers every possible option?

Accepted Answer

Unbounded rationality

Question 7

A person overestimates the likelihood of being in a plane crash after seeing news reports about recent crashes. Which cognitive bias is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Availability heuristic

Question 8

Which of the following best describes bounded rationality?

Accepted Answer

Making decisions using heuristics due to limited resources and the need for speed.

Question 9

In the Wason selection task, what is the main goal when evaluating a conditional rule such as 'If a card has a vowel on one side, then it has an even number on the other side'?

Accepted Answer

To attempt to falsify the rule by finding a counterexample.

Question 10

Why are humans considered poor intuitive statisticians?

Accepted Answer

They often rely on heuristics and ignore base rates, leading to systematic errors.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for altruism to be evolutionarily stable in the Prisoner’s Dilemma?

Accepted Answer

The cost of altruism must be greater than the benefit.

Question 12

In the context of logical reasoning, what does the Wason selection task reveal about human cognition?

Accepted Answer

People are better at detecting rule violations when the context involves social contracts or cheater detection.

Question 13

Which heuristic is at play when someone chooses an option simply because they recognize it, even if they know little about it?

Accepted Answer

Recognition heuristic

Question 14

A person ignores prior probabilities and only considers current evidence when making a decision. Which error are they committing?

Accepted Answer

Base rate neglect

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why cheater detection is effective in human reasoning?

Accepted Answer

It is related to Darwinian algorithms that evolved to support reciprocity in social contracts.

Question 16

Which scenario best illustrates optimization under constraint?

Accepted Answer

A student chooses the best study strategy given limited time and energy.

Question 17

Why do heuristics often lead to cognitive biases?

Accepted Answer

Because they are fast and easy shortcuts that do not guarantee correct solutions.

Question 18

In a small community, why is altruism more likely to be stable over time?

Accepted Answer

Because individuals can easily communicate and track cheaters, promoting reciprocity.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of the representativeness heuristic?

Accepted Answer

Assuming someone who is quiet and likes books is more likely to be a librarian than a salesperson, ignoring base rates.

Question 20

Which statement best reflects the purpose of memory according to the study materials?

Accepted Answer

Memory is designed to store information that supports daily life, not to provide exact representations of the past.

Cognition and Decision Making: Key Concepts and Theories

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