Unit 2 Exam Terms

The term for a cognitive bias where individuals rely heavily on the first piece of information when making decisions is called (a)  

• Anchoring heuristic
• Availability heuristic
• Cognitive dissonance
• False consensus bias

Answer explanation

The anchoring heuristic is a cognitive bias where individuals give disproportionate weight to the first piece of information encountered, influencing their decisions. This makes it the correct choice for the question.

Match the following heuristics with their descriptions.

• Relying heavily on the first piece of information encountered

• External attribution

• A systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment

• Availability heuristic

• Relying on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a situation

• Cognitive bias

• Attributing external factors to explain behavior

• Anchoring heuristic

Answer explanation

The availability heuristic involves making judgments based on immediate examples that come to mind. It explains why people often rely on easily recalled information when evaluating situations, making it the correct choice.

Match the following terms with their definitions.

• The ability to process different information sources and carry out multiple tasks at a time.

• Conformity

• The mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes.

• Cognitive bias

• The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.

• Cognitive dissonance

• A systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

• Divided attention

Answer explanation

Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that arises when a person holds contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. It leads to an internal conflict, prompting the individual to seek consistency.

What is the ability to focus on two or more tasks simultaneously called?

• Divided attention

• Conformity

• Depth cue

• External attribution

Answer explanation

The ability to focus on two or more tasks simultaneously is known as divided attention. This term describes how we can manage multiple cognitive tasks at once, making it the correct choice among the options provided.

What is the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share one's beliefs and behaviors?

• False consensus bias

• Anchoring heuristic

• Cognitive dissonance

• Cultural background

Answer explanation

The tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs and behaviors is known as false consensus bias. This cognitive bias leads individuals to assume that their views are more common than they actually are.

The tendency to attribute others' behavior to internal factors while underestimating situational influences is called (a)  

• Internal attribution
• Fundamental attribution error
• Situational attribution
• Representativeness heuristic

Answer explanation

The tendency to attribute others' behavior to internal factors while underestimating situational influences is known as the fundamental attribution error. This bias leads us to overlook external circumstances affecting behavior.

Which principle involves rules governing how we organize visual information to form a complete picture?

• Proximity

• Gestalt principle

• Selective attention

• Perceptual set

Answer explanation

The Gestalt principle refers to the rules that describe how we perceive visual elements as organized patterns or wholes, helping us to form a complete picture from individual components.

The perception of taste, which includes identifying different flavors such as sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, is known as (a)  

• Social connection quality
• Gustatory perception
• Supertaster
• Likert scale

Answer explanation

The perception of taste, which involves identifying flavors like sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, is known as gustatory perception. This term specifically refers to the sensory experience of taste.

What are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to simplify decision-making called?

• Heuristics

• Obedience

• Perceptual set

• Selective attention

Answer explanation

Mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making are called heuristics. They help individuals make quick judgments without extensive analysis, distinguishing them from concepts like obedience, perceptual set, and selective attention.

Match the following processes with their descriptions.

• Using prior knowledge to interpret sensory information

• Top-down processing

• Objects that are close to each other are perceived as a group

• Proximity

• Building up perception from the smallest pieces of sensory information

• Selective attention

• Focusing on one particular stimulus while ignoring others

• Bottom-up processing

Answer explanation

Selective attention is the cognitive process of focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring others. This allows individuals to concentrate on relevant information, making it the correct choice for the question.