How do heuristics influence everyday choices and judgements?

Heuristics significantly influence our everyday choices and judgements by simplifying complex decision-making processes.

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or 'rules of thumb' that our brains use to make decisions or judgements quickly. They are cognitive strategies that simplify the complex task of assessing probabilities and predicting values. In our daily lives, we are constantly faced with situations where we need to make decisions, form judgements or solve problems. These situations often involve a high degree of uncertainty and complexity. To manage this, our brains use heuristics to reduce the cognitive load and speed up the decision-making process.

For instance, the 'availability heuristic' is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision. For example, if you are asked to judge the likelihood of a plane crash, you might think of recent plane crashes that have been in the news. This heuristic might lead you to overestimate the probability of such events, as dramatic, unusual events are more often reported and therefore more available in your memory.

Another common heuristic is the 'representativeness heuristic', which involves making judgements based on how much something resembles a typical case. For example, if you meet someone who is short, shy, and likes to read, you might assume that this person is a librarian, even though these traits could apply to many other professions. This heuristic can lead to stereotypes and biases, as it involves judging based on perceived typicality.

The 'anchoring heuristic' is another mental shortcut where people rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive (the 'anchor') when making decisions. For example, if you're negotiating a salary and the employer offers £30,000 as a starting point, you might request £32,000, even if you initially wanted £35,000. The initial offer has anchored your expectations and influenced your counteroffer.

In conclusion, heuristics play a significant role in our everyday choices and judgements. They help us navigate the complexity and uncertainty of the world, but they can also lead to biases and errors in judgement. Understanding how heuristics work can help us make more informed and rational decisions.