Question

A cognitive heuristic is:

Hypothesis generation method

A rule of thumb that is an easy way of making decisions

Method of inferential diagnosis

Part of the cognitive feedback loop

Answer 1

A cognitive heuristic is a rule of thumb that is an easy way of making decisions.

Cognitive heuristic is a mental shortcut, a rule of thumb for making decisions, for solving problems. It is different from schema, which means a mental frame work. It helps in organising information. But heuristic is a mental shortcut which helps in solving problems quickly. The term heuristic is first introduced by Herbert Simon in 1957. But it was Tversky and Daniel Kahneman who brought the term to psychology. There are different types of heuristics like availability heuroheur, representative heuristic, adjustment heuristic, anchoring. But it leads to cognitive error.