Heuristics

Question 1

What are heuristics??

Answer 1

Information-processing strategies (mental shortcuts) that enable individuals to form judgments, make decisions, and solve problems quickly and efficiently

They are:
- rapid
-instinctive
- automatic
- error prone (bad decisions)

Question 2

What are the 5 conditions for a heuristic anthony R. Pratkanis (1989) proposed?

Answer 2

1. When one is faced with too much info
2. Time to make a decision is limited
3. Decision is unimportant
4. Where there is access to very little information to use in decision-making
5. When appropriate heuristics happen to come to mind in the same moment

Question 3

Positive influences of heuristics

Answer 3

-save time when making decisions and problem solving
- adaptive and protects individuals from dangerous situations
- reduces cognitive load

Question 4

Negative influences of heuristics

Answer 4

• Decisions that are made quickly are prone to error and based decisions
• can lead to base-rate fallacy

Question 5

Base-rate fallacy

Answer 5

Type of bias in which decisions, social perceptions, and judgements are influenced more by vivid memories and experiences than statistical facts.
(Think about how people are scared of sharks so perhaps they dont go swimming at the beach, but sharks are fairly harmless/rare)
This is NOT a heuristic

Question 6

What is the anchoring (Adjustment) heuristic?
and what is a pro & a con?

Answer 6

Information strategy involving forming judgements based on first information received about an idea/concept.
Can lead to misinterpretation but also save time/reduce cognitive load.

Question 7

What is the availability (Available shortcut) heuristic?
and what is a pro & a con

Answer 7

Information-processing strategy enabling individuals to form a judgement, solve a problem, or make a decision based on information that is easily available.
Information might not always be the best for that moment.

Question 8

What is the affect (Emotional) heuristic?
And what is a pro and a con?

Answer 8

Information-processing strategy involving using emotions to make a judgement, decision or problem solving, eliminate risks positive and negative (think of fear of needles, Heights etc)

Question 9

What is the representative (category-based) heuristic? and what is a pro and con?

Answer 9

Information-processing strategy involving making a categorical judgement about an idea, event, or person based on similarity to other items in that category.
Can be misleading.