What is availability bias?

The availability bias is a cognitive shortcut that relies on what immediately comes to mind to make quick decisions and judgments. The information might be derived from recent or particularly vivid memories. It might also be based on personal experience or fueled by outside sources such as news outlets or the internet.

What is availability bias according to Marx & Weber?

According to Marx and Weber (2012), availability bias or the availability heuristic refers to the human tendency to judge an event by the ease with which examples of the event can be retrieved from your memory or constructed anew. View our comprehensive playlist of revision videos on behavioural economics over on the Tutor2u Youtube Channel:

What are cognitive biases?

Other cognitive biases include the confirmation bias and self-serving bias. With the confirmation bias, people tend to give undue credence to materials that support their own beliefs and attitudes, disregarding any information that contradicts those perceptions.

How does availability bias affect the risk of smoking?

People may be influenced by the availability bias when assessing the risks of smoking. For example, if someone knows a smoker who has lived a long and healthy life, they may assume that smoking is not as harmful as it is often portrayed.