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The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut where individuals make decisions based on information that is most easily recalled, such as a recent experience or a vivid example. This reliance on readily available information can lead to flawed judgments, as the most accessible information is not always the most representative or accurate for making a sound decision.

Availability Heuristic

A correlation between events can appear to exist when they are in fact illusionary. This can result from observing two events potentially being linked so we begin to expect they are related even when they are not.

Illusory correlations

After watching several vivid news reports about a recent, dramatic plane crash, a traveler becomes convinced that flying is more dangerous than driving and decides to drive 12 hours to their destination instead. Statistically, driving that distance is far riskier than flying. Which statement best explains the traveler's flawed judgment?

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