A heuristic is like a shortcut or simple rule that people use to make decisions faster and more efficiently (Gigerenzer & Gaissmaier, 2011). It helps us decide quickly without considering all the details. For example, when choosing something, we might use a rule that we have used before to decide quickly and accurately.
In psychology, researchers have found that heuristics are made up of building blocks, which are like small rules that help us with different parts of decision-making. These blocks include things like how we look for information, when we stop looking, and when we finally make a choice.
These shortcuts are helpful because we often have limited time, mental energy, and information to make decisions (Raab & Gigerenzer, 2015). They are used in many areas of life, including sports, where people use heuristics for tasks like predicting winners, making choices in sports teams, or deciding when a player is “on fire” based on their recent performance.
Gigerenzer, G., & Gaissmaier, W. (2011). Heuristic decision making. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 451 482.
Raab, M., & Gigerenzer, G. (2015). The power of simplicity: A fast-and-frugal heuristics approach to performance sci- ence. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1672.