How does a first-year student misuse the representativeness heuristic when making assumptions about engineers?

When a first-year student relies on the representativeness heuristic in making assumptions about engineers, they may exhibit bias by drawing conclusions based on a small sample size. The representativeness heuristic involves assessing the likelihood of an event based on how much it resembles an existing prototype or stereotype, rather than relying on statistical evidence or comprehensive data.

In the case of assuming characteristics about engineers, the student might encounter a limited number of engineers, perhaps only those they know personally or from a specific environment. If these individuals conform to certain stereotypes—such as being introverted or highly analytical—the student might generalize these traits to all engineers, ignoring the broader and more diverse population within the profession.

This reliance on a small sample can lead to skewed perceptions that do not accurately represent the full spectrum of individuals in the engineering field. Consequently, the student's conclusions may not be valid when applied to other engineers, reflecting a misapplication of the representativeness heuristic.