Heuristikas

Heuristikas, often translated as heuristics, are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that people use to make decisions, solve problems, and form judgments quickly and efficiently. They are simplified strategies that allow individuals to navigate complex situations by reducing the cognitive effort required. Instead of engaging in exhaustive analysis, heuristics enable us to make decisions based on readily available information and past experiences.

These mental shortcuts are highly adaptive and play a crucial role in everyday life. For instance, when faced with a large number of choices, a heuristic like "availability" might lead someone to choose the option that comes to mind most easily. Similarly, the "representativeness" heuristic involves making judgments based on how well something matches a prototype or stereotype. While heuristics are often effective, they can also lead to systematic errors or biases in judgment.

The study of heuristics and biases was significantly advanced by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman. They identified several common heuristics, including availability, representativeness, and anchoring and adjustment. The anchoring and adjustment heuristic, for example, describes the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the anchor) when making decisions. Understanding these mental shortcuts helps explain why people sometimes make seemingly irrational choices and provides insights into human cognitive processes.