SAQ (cognitive) cognitive biases

Potential Q

Explain 1 cognitive bias with reference to 1 study.

What are heuristics?

a mental shortcut we use because we are cognitive misers.

What is anchoring bias?

when we base our estimates around a given value (the anchor) even if the value is implausible or highly unlikely.

What is system 1 thinking?

It is part of the dual process model which says we make a quick decisions without considering all of the info available and we use previous schemas or heuristics.

What was the aim of English and Mussweiler

to investigate whether anchoring bias would affect a judges sentencing

What was the design?

Independent samples design so the researchers used the same case study for both conditions.

What experiment is this?

True

What was the sample?

-19 young trial judges (15 male and 4 female)

What was the method?

trial judges with less than one year of experience was given a rape case and asked, based on the evidence, how long the punishment should be. In one group they were told that the prosecution recommended a 34-month sentence; in the other group a 2-month sentence.

What’s the results?

when given the suggestion of 34 months, the students recommended on average a longer sentence. Since they would not have an absolute sense of how many months to punish the offender, they used the “anchor” that they were given to make their decision

What’s the conclusion?

This is an example of how a cognitive bias may affect one’s behaviour because the law students did not have time to study the case fully, their decision relied partially on the anchor given to them. This allowed them to make quick decisions without using too much energy.