Availability Heuristic
bias
Summary: Judge likelihood by how easily examples come to mind.
Vivid, emotional, or recent events seem more common than they are, leading to distorted risk assessments.
Pattern prevalence
- Authors: top 20.4%, bottom 4.1%, overall 3.9%
- Publications: top 11.7%, bottom 5.6%, overall 4%
- Articles: top 9%, bottom 1%, overall 5%
Recent example
career violent criminal with 72 arrests. His ankle monitor showed that he'd been out all night twice and was violating his curfew on November 17th of last year when police say he boarded Chicago's Elra and set a complete stranger, Bethany McGee, on fire. This is the same ankle monitor
Recent articles
Lefty Senate candidate Graham Platner seen in shocking topless, towel-wearing selfie from hook up app Kik 0%
New York Post - By David Spector - 5/30/2026, 9:57 PM
Negativity Bias 31.7% - Appeal to Emotion 24.5% - Biased Writer Voice 20.2%
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner can be seen in a shocking new topless, towel-wearing selfie from his account on an app widely used for hookups – as it emerged the Nazi-tattoo-wearing Democrat sexted with numerous women outside his marriage. In the image obtained by The Post from his Kik account, the left-leaning Platner is clad... more
Shackled, transferred, mocked: woman, 23, says she gave in to deportation after ‘humiliating’ ICE detention 0%
The Guardian - By Alba Asenjo Domínguez - 5/30/2026, 12:00 PM
Negativity Bias 30.4% - Confirmation Bias 9.7% - Anecdotal 9.5%
Ana María had been happy living in the US. She had an asylum case going through the US immigration system and was working, becoming part of the community, living with her boyfriend and was grateful for safe harbor. But after she was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she had such a horrendous experience that, in... more
We have to take this more seriously, UFO expert says 0%
Fox News - 5/30/2026, 10:30 AM
Appeal to Emotion 38.7% - Negativity Bias 35.9% - Availability Heuristic 35.6%
We've had repeated instances of something operating in the airspace over restricted nuclear facilities and it's not ours and we don't know whose it is. That alone, just that statement alone deserves inquiry, deserves attention, deserves focus. [music] >> If you have objects in the sky that you cannot identify, that's a problem because it... more
BREAKING: Multiple dead after naturalized US citizen from China crashes bus 0%
Fox News - 5/29/2026, 11:15 PM
Negativity Bias 41.8% - Appeal to Emotion 32.1% - Framing Effect 31.7%
Good evening. I'm Bill Malujin and this is your Fox News report. President Trump weighs a final decision on an Iran ceasefire deal. The president meeting with advisers behind closed doors today, mulling over the potential deal, which includes extending the ceasefire for 60 days, reopening the Straight of Hormuz, and starting negotiations... more
Brooklyn day care owner fined by NYC for child safety concerns tried to operate in NJ 0%
Gothamist - By Karen Yi - 5/29/2026, 10:01 AM
Availability Heuristic 24% - Negativity Bias 22% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 17.9%
The owner of a Brooklyn daycare that shuttered this year amid child abuse allegations tried to open a new space in New Jersey. It's the second time that Shareece Dukes, who ran the Eva Crèche Child Care Center in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, tried to relaunch her business in a new jurisdiction after previous problems prompted closures,... more
Gold bars worth $40 million seized from home of former CIA officer: Prosecutors 0%
ABC News - 5/29/2026, 1:00 AM
Negativity Bias 49% - Appeal to Authority 35.7% - Confirmation Bias 25.8%
To the former CIA officer accused of fraud. Prosecutors say he had hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million stashed in his home. David Rush is also accused of lying about his military and academic credentials for nearly two decades. Here's ABC's Stephanie Ramos. >> Tonight, tough questions for the CIA after a former officer with... more
Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Supercharges Violence in the Americas 0%
The Intercept - By Nick Turse - 5/27/2026, 8:00 AM
Negativity Bias 64.3% - Unattributed Quote 52.8% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 26.6%
The Trump administration’s aggressive diplomatic and military engagement in the U.S.’s backyard — dubbed the Donroe Doctrine — has led to more violence in the Americas, increased impunity by local security forces, and heightened danger from cartels in the Western Hemisphere, according to a new analysis by a top violence watchdog, shared... more
'DISASTER!': Former Dem megadonor delivers SCATHING party assessment 0%
Fox News - 5/22/2026, 1:00 PM
Democrats took control of the Congress. I think that uh and let's say took control of the country. Uh I think that this country's finished. These people are sick. They suffer from Trump derangement syndrome. But really they they they have bad policy. They have horrible policy. >> John Morgan is a former major Democrat donor. John, you... more
Republicans delay votes over concerns about Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ 77.6%
ABC News - 5/22/2026, 12:30 PM
This morning, a growing revolt among Senate Republicans outraged over the president's new taxpayer fund to reward his allies who claimed they were mistreated by the Biden Justice Department. Among those who could financially benefit from the $ 1.8 billion fund, those who stormed the capital and attacked police officers on January 6th. >>... more
Flight diverted amid Ebola outbreak 76.5%
ABC News - 5/22/2026, 12:19 AM
growing Ebola outbreak and officials defending the decision to bar an Air France passenger from entering the United States, forcing the jet to divert to Canada. And tonight, we're learning another American doctor who may have been exposed to Ebola has been flown to quarantine in Prague. Steve Osansami reporting from the CDC tonight. What... more