Wishful thinking is best described by which statement?

• A. Believing something because you want it to be true
• B. Assuming that rare events are common because they are memorable
• C. Judging decisions by outcomes rather than information
• D. Remembering beginnings and endings

Answer: (A)

Wishful thinking shows up when beliefs are shaped by what we want to be true rather than what the evidence shows. The statement that best describes this is believing something because you want it to be true, because desire biases you to accept it despite conflicting data. This mindset leads you to ignore or downplay disconfirming information and to overvalue favorable outcomes. For example, hoping a plan will work can make you overlook risks or red flags.

The other ideas describe different biases: assuming rare events are common because they are memorable reflects the availability bias; judging decisions by outcomes rather than information points to outcome bias; remembering beginnings and endings relates to memory effects like primacy and recency. Among these, the first option most accurately captures how wishful thinking operates.