MCAT Question of the Day


  • Q:

    A doctor develops a theory of disease etiology. She decides that her research findings, while equivocal, most likely support her theory, but subsequent independent testing does not confirm and in fact refutes her findings. She never waivers in her support for her theory even though over time findings from most other studies refute it. Which factor relevant to cognitive decision-making likely produced the doctor's belief that her findings support her theory, and which factor accounts for her insistence that her theory is correct despite the evidence?

     

    A

    Availability heuristic; representativeness heuristic.

    B

    Belief perseverance; availability heuristic.

    C

    Confirmation bias; belief perseverance.

    D

    Representativeness heuristic; confirmation bias.



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