People Typically Believe That Fires Cause More Deaths, but Statistics

question 490

Multiple Choice

People typically believe that fires cause more deaths, but statistics reveal that drowning actually causes significantly more deaths than fire. Some researchers argue that we make this error because TV news programs show much more footage of fires than drowning, because fires are more exciting to televise. This presumably makes it much easier for us to call up examples of death by fire. This particular finding is best considered as an example of a judgment error caused by

• A)a mental set
• B)a confirmation bias
• C)the availability heuristic
• D)the representativeness heuristic

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Definitions:

Validity

The extent to which a concept, conclusion, or measurement is well-founded and corresponds accurately to the real world, often used in research, testing, and evaluation.

Instrument Measures

Tools or devices designed to assess, quantify, or gauge specific variables or conditions, often for research or evaluation purposes.

Single-subject Designs

Research designs focusing on the response of a single subject to a variable or treatment, allowing for detailed observation and analysis of individual effects.

Goal Attainment Scaling

A method used to set and measure personal or project goals, often involving specifying clear, measurable indicators of success.