System 1 Thinking & Heuristics Quiz

What is a key characteristic of System 1 thinking?

• It is slow and logical

• It requires conscious effort

• It is fast and automatic

• It relies on statistical analysis

Which system is more likely to be used when you're running late and choose the fastest route instinctively?

• System 2

• Logical memory

• System 1

• Meta-cognition

The “availability heuristic” leads people to:

• Think of the least familiar outcome

• Ignore memory completely

• Judge likelihood based on vivid or recent examples

• Overthink logical probabilities

A friend refuses to fly because they saw a news report about a crash. This is an example of:

• Representativeness heuristic

• Anchoring bias

• Confirmation bias

• Availability heuristic

System 1 thinking is most useful when:

• Solving a complex math problem

• Taking a timed quiz

• Reflecting on long-term goals

• Comparing mortgage rates

Which of these best reflects the representativeness heuristic?

• Assuming someone in scrubs is a doctor

• Looking up real probabilities

• Avoiding stereotypes

• Calculating risk rationally

Kahneman calls the brain's habit of filling in gaps with intuition:

• Controlled thought

• Cognitive dissonance

• Thinking fast

• Thinking linearly

A student believes they’ll fail the test because they failed before. This is:

• Confirmation bias

• Regression to the mean

• Hindsight bias

• Base rate fallacy

Which is true of System 2 thinking?

• It’s fast and intuitive

• It avoids cognitive load

• It’s triggered automatically

• It’s slower and requires effort

You hear a loud noise and instantly jump back. That’s an example of:

• Anchoring bias

• Reflex processing

• System 1 thinking

• Moral reasoning