Is heuristic thinking, good, bad, or somewhere in between? What advantages—if any—are associated with heuristic thinking? Are there disadvantages to using heuristics, and if so, what are they?
Use the availability heuristic to provide examples to support your claims.
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points. Examples will vary.
? Heuristic thinking is generally beneficial, but it can also lead to errors.
? One reason heuristics are beneficial is that they are an efficient way to make decisions.
? However, heuristics can lead to certain biases and mistakes.
? For example, the availability heuristic entails estimating the frequency of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind.
? If you were asked whether there are more male or female members of Congress, the fact that it is easier to think of specific congressmen than congresswomen would help you quickly guess that there are more male members.
? However, if you were asked to estimate the danger of being in a plane crash, many people would overestimate the danger because the emotional salience of a plane crash makes them very memorable.
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