Which heuristic estimates the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind from memory, making vivid instances seem more common?

• A. Representativeness Heuristic
• B. Intuition
• C. Availability Heuristic
• D. Drive Reduction Theory

Answer: (C)

This question tests how memory influences probability judgments. The availability heuristic means we estimate how likely something is based on how easily examples come to mind. When vivid or recent events are easy to recall, they can seem more common or probable than they really are, like thinking air travel is riskier after hearing dramatic but memorable incidents even though statistics show it's very safe. The representativeness heuristic would judge probability by how similar something is to a typical example or stereotype, not by how easily we remember it. Intuition is a general, less formal sense of knowing, not specifically about recall-based frequency judgments. Drive reduction theory deals with motivating behavior to reduce internal needs, not with estimating event likelihood.