8.8 Availability Heuristic and Its Effects

A set of flashcards covering key concepts related to the availability heuristic and its impact on perception and decision-making.

Availability Heuristic

A mental shortcut used to estimate the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind.

Fear of Flying

A common fear attributed to the availability heuristic, often inflated by media coverage of plane crashes.

Shark Attacks

Events that are extremely rare but feared, often due to sensationalized media portrayals.

Public Policy and Availability Heuristic

The tendency for public funding and policies to be influenced by events that are more readily recalled rather than by statistical likelihood.

Emotional Events and Memory

Experiences that are emotionally charged tend to be recalled more easily, which can distort perceptions of risk.

Counter-Terrorism Funding

Significant funding allocated post-9/11, despite the low likelihood of terrorist attacks compared to other health risks.

Assertiveness Experiment

An experiment demonstrating how recalling different numbers of personal examples affects self-assessment of assertiveness.

Nuclear Power Perception

Public fears about nuclear power are often inflated by potential disaster imagery rather than actual safety statistics.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Pollutants that significantly contribute to climate change, potentially addressable through nuclear energy solutions.

Extreme Weather Events

Severe weather phenomena linked to climate change, inciting public concern and debate on effective solutions.