Question

Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the use of the representative heuristic leading to an incorrect classification?

A) Categorizing a bird as a penguin because it has wings and feathers
B) Assuming someone is a doctor because they wear a white coat
C) Identifying a fruit as an apple based on its red color
D) Classifying a person as an athlete because they are wearing sports attire

Answer 1

The use of the representative heuristic leading to incorrect classification is exemplified by scenario B) – assuming someone is a doctor because they wear a white coat.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario that demonstrates the use of the representative heuristic leading to an incorrect classification is B) Assuming someone is a doctor because they wear a white coat. The representative heuristic is a cognitive bias where people categorize and assess something based on its resemblance to a typical case. In this scenario, the person is stereotyped as a doctor purely based on attire, which aligns with a common stereotype of a doctor's appearance. This could be incorrect, as many professionals wear white coats, including scientists, pharmacists, and chefs.

It is important to note that other scenarios A), C), and D) could potentially also involve the representative heuristic, but they do not specifically indicate an incorrect classification. Whereas in B), the classification of someone as a doctor based only on their white coat is most likely to result in an error as it is a stereotype that does not consider other relevant information.