Understanding the Representative Heuristic Bias: A Guide to Avoiding Cognitive Errors.

Representative Heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes

Representative heuristic is a cognitive bias in which people make judgments about the likelihood of an event or situation based on how closely it resembles other events or situations that are known to them. This mental shortcut is often used to make decisions quickly and efficiently, but can sometimes lead to errors in judgment or stereotyping.

For example, a person may assume that a tall, muscular man is likely to be a professional athlete, even if they have no knowledge of the person’s actual occupation or interests. This is because the man’s appearance is representative of the stereotype of professional athletes as tall and muscular.

Another example is when people follow political polls during elections. They may use the results of the polls to make judgments about which candidate is likely to win, based on how closely the poll results resemble their expectations or the views of others around them.

Overall, representative heuristic can be a useful tool for making quick decisions based on limited information, but it is important to be aware of its limitations and potential biases. It is crucial to gather additional information and consider alternative perspectives before making any significant decisions based on this mental shortcut.

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