Question

1. A jar filled with candy is left out on the front desk at Peirce. A sign reads: "Guess many pieces of candy are in this jar? More or less than 50?" Then, most people who guess wind up guessing numbers very close to 50.  

What kind of cognitive bias does this example illustrate? What would be a better way to make the sign on the candy jar less biased?

2. On Monday, a surgeon at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia meets with each person thinking about having a surgery. On Monday, she describes the surgery like this: "Well, the death or mortality rate is about 30%." Most people that day refuse to have the surgery.

On Tuesday, that same doctor meets with other people thinking about having that same surgery. She describes the surgery like this: "Well, the success rate is about 70%." Most people that day say they will have the surgery.

What kind of cognitive bias does this example illustrate? What could the doctor do to avoid being biased in talking to patients?

3. Carmen wants to find out more information about the presidential election coming up in their country. Carmen is very liberal; and they only go to the most liberal websites to find out information. Carmen also goes to the websites suggested by friends who think like them.

What kind of cognitive bias is Carmen illustrating? How could Carmen avoid this bias?  

Answer 1

1. This example represents the anchoring effect. Anchoring is a cognitive bias where an individual relies too heavily on an initial piece of information offered when making decisions. A better way to make the sign on the candy jar less biased would be to simply ask people to how many candies are in the jar, without mentioning any numerical value.

Please post the other questions separately as we are supposed to answer just one question or four sub parts of the same question.