This idea, also known as the availability bias, was first introduced by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in the 1970s. They observed that people tend to rely on immediate examples or information that comes readily to mind when making judgments or decisions.

The bias suggests that individuals often overestimate the likelihood of events or situations based on how easily they can recall relevant instances. Essentially, if we can remember it, we tend to consider it to be more important.

A classic example of availability bias can be found when people overestimate the likelihood of plane crashes compared to car accidents. This happens because plane crashes often receive tons of media coverage and we tend to remember these horrific events more vividly, even though statistically speaking, car accidents are far more common.