In 2001, an Unknown Person Sent Anthrax Through the United

question 192

Short Answer

In 2001, an unknown person sent anthrax through the United States Postal Service, causing the deaths of five people. Many people became afraid to open their mail, although the risk for any given individual was extremely small. What heuristics help to explain this reaction?

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Definitions:

Experimenter Bias

A form of bias introduced by the expectations, beliefs, or preferences of the researcher conducting an experiment which can affect the outcome.

Online Experiments

Research studies conducted over the internet, allowing for the collection of data from a broad geographic distribution of participants.

Diffusion

The method in which a new idea is shared across specific channels over a period among individuals within a social structure.

Internal Validity

The extent to which a research study accurately establishes a cause-effect relationship between the treatment and the observed outcome, minimizing the confounding variables.