Which Observation Would NOT Be an Indication of a Binary

question 134

Multiple Choice

Which observation would NOT be an indication of a binary star system?

• A) The "star" appears to move in a straight line against a background field of stars.
• B) A "star" appears to become periodically dimmer and then brighter for a few hours at a time.
• C) A "star" image periodically separates into two distinct images and then blends again.
• D) The "star" appears to wiggle in its path across Earth's sky against the background stars.

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Definitions:

Representativeness Heuristic

A mental shortcut people use where the likelihood of an object belonging to a particular category is assessed based on how typical that object is thought to be of the category.

Availability Heuristic

A cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate the likelihood of events based on their ability to recall similar instances.

Escalation Heuristic

A cognitive bias or decision-making process where individuals increase their commitment to a previously taken course of action beyond the level that is justified by the current situation.

Satisficing Heuristic

A decision-making strategy that involves searching through the available alternatives until an acceptability threshold is met, rather than seeking the best possible solution.