Which of These Smokers Exhibits an Optimistic Bias

question 39

Multiple Choice

Which of these smokers exhibits an optimistic bias?

• A) Jim overestimates the danger of smoking and believes that he has a very high chance of developing a smoking-related disease before age 60.
• B) Loraine believes that smoking is not really dangerous and so she has about the same risk for smoking-related diseases as do other people.
• C) Robbie overestimates the danger of smoking and believes that she has about the same risk for smoking-related diseases as do other people.
• D) Joe understands the danger of smoking but believes that his risk of a smoking-related disease is less than that of other smokers.

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Definitions:

Reasonable Belief

A conclusion or perspective that a person can logically or justifiably hold, based on the information available to them at the time.

Actual Damage

Real, specific harm or loss suffered by an individual or entity, as opposed to hypothetical or potential harm.

Defamation Suits

Legal actions brought for damage to reputation caused by false statements, either spoken (slander) or written (libel).

Discharged Employees

Workers who have been terminated from their job for various reasons, which can include layoffs, misconduct, or the completion of a contract.