[3] The psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains scope neglect in terms of judgment by prototype, a refinement of the representativeness heuristic.
Psychologist Paul Slovic has conducted research on the phenomenon of mass numbing which is closely linked to scope neglect.
Philosopher Toby Ord argues that scope neglect can explain why the moral importance of existential risks to humanity is frequently underweighted relative to the stakes involved.
This suffering can be widespread, as individuals of many species face constant survival challenges in the wild.
Scope neglect, plays a role in this, as the large scale of suffering in the wild can be difficult for people to fully comprehend, leading to reduced moral consideration.