Mental shortcuts in AP Psychology

Definition

Mental shortcuts, also known as heuristics, are cognitive strategies that humans use to simplify decision-making and problem-solving by relying on quick and efficient rules of thumb. These shortcuts often involve making judgments or decisions based on limited information.

Related terms

Confirmation bias: This term refers to our tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs or hypotheses while ignoring or downplaying contradictory evidence.

Availability heuristic: Refers to the mental shortcut where we make judgments based on how easily examples come to mind rather than their actual frequency or probability.

Representativeness heuristic: This term describes the mental shortcut where we judge the likelihood of an event based on how well it matches a particular prototype or stereotype.