Skip to content

Linda is thirty-one years old, single, outspoken, and very…

“Linda is thirty-one years old, single, outspoken, and very bright. She majored in philosophy. As a student she was deeply concerned with issues of discrimination and social justice and also participated in anti-nuclear demonstrations. Which of two alternatives is more probable? A. Linda is a bank…” quote by Richard Bookstaber
Download Open image
““Linda is thirty-one years old, single, outspoken, and very bright. She majored in philosophy. As a student she was deeply concerned with issues of discrimination and social justice and also participated in anti-nuclear demonstrations. Which of two alternatives is more probable? A. Linda is a bank teller. B. Linda is a bank teller and is active in the feminist movement.””

Richard Bookstaber

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Linda problem illustrates how vivid narratives can bias probability judgments.

In simple terms: Stories skew logical reasoning about likelihood.

Key Takeaway

Beware of narrative bias in decisions.

Themes

cognition bias probability

Mood

analytical critical

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

  • statistics
  • critical thinking
  • psychology
  • law

Key Concepts

heuristics decision making

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does narrative affect your judgments?
  • What steps improve logical assessment?
A Different Perspective

Statistical reasoning can be overridden by emotion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Richard Bookstaber

Explore all 10 Richard Bookstaber quotes

More Feminist movement quotes

Browse all 125 Feminist movement quotes