Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) Practice Exam

The psychological concept that relates to making judgments about future emotions is affective forecasting. This term refers to the process of predicting how we will feel in response to future events. Individuals often engage in affective forecasting when they consider how a particular situation, decision, or outcome will impact their emotional state.

For instance, when planning for a significant life event, such as a job change or a move to a new city, a person might envision their emotional response to that change—how happy or satisfied they will feel once it happens. This ability to project future feelings is crucial for decision-making, as it influences life choices based on anticipated happiness or disappointment.

Cognitive bias refers to systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, which can affect the accuracy of affective forecasting but is not specifically about predicting emotional responses. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others, which is related but focuses more on emotional awareness rather than forecasting feelings about future events. Risk assessment concerns evaluating potential risks and uncertainties involved in a decision, which is broader and does not specifically tackle the emotional aspect of predicting future feelings.