A heuristic is a mental shortcut or rule of thumb that helps us make decisions and solve problems quickly, often relying on limited information. It's like a quick and easy strategy our brain uses to simplify complex tasks.
Related terms
Availability Heuristic: Estimating the likelihood of an event based on how easily we can recall similar instances from memory.
Representativeness Heuristic: Making judgments based on how well something fits into our existing mental prototype or stereotype.
Anchoring Heuristic: Relying heavily on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions or estimates.