What are heuristics? How do they influence my decisions?

Have you been in a store, choosing between two brands of pasta sauce, and ended up grabbing the one that’s familiar — even without checking the ingredients or price? 

In a group project, has someone ever seemed really capable right away — maybe because they spoke confidently or dressed smartly? Was that first impression based more on how they came across than on anything they’d actually done?

These are examples of heuristics (pronounced hyoo-RIS-tiks), mental shortcuts that are also known as "rules of thumb".

Learning how and why we use them, as well as their pros and cons, will help you make better decisions.

Heuristics are what people use to simplify problems when they have to make decisions quickly. It helps them "avoid cognitive overload" (or the stress of too much information) in a busy, complex world.

Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in the 1970s and 80s did a huge amount of research on decision making. Thinking Fast and Slow was a popular, successful book written about the subject.

Watch this TikTok video about Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman:

The video tells us that we rely on gut reactions and biases we often don't know exist. We ALL rely on biases to make quick decisions but sometimes we need to slow down and think about a decision. There are times when we need to consider alternative viewpoints.

People make quick decisions all the time. This leads to biases that they're not usually aware of:

Availability Bias

The availability bias is a heuristic that describes how people "use information that comes to mind quickly and easily when making decisions about the future."

People might overestimate the danger of shark attacks because news stories and movies vividly portray them, even though statistically, they are rare. 

Representativeness

Representativeness (or representative bias) happens when people make judgments or decisions "based on how others match particular stereotypes."

When hiring, a manager might choose a candidate who strongly resembles previous successful employees. They might be overlooking equally or more qualified candidates who they think don’t look right.

Anchoring and Adjustment

"People employ a certain starting point ('the anchor') and make adjustments until they reach an acceptable value." This starting point can often be planted by an outside source.

A car salesman quotes a high initial price (the anchor). A person might negotiate down from that price, but the final offer might still be higher than the true market value because the adjustments weren't enough.

Affect Bias

Affect bias is a heuristic in which humans let their emotions have a big impact on how they act instead of "thinking about problems systematically."

Consumers might choose a product or service because they have a positive emotional connection with the brand, even if there are better alternatives. 

Why do our brains make so many quick, inaccurate decisions, instead of slowly considering each carefully?

Speed

Heuristics help people make quick decisions using past experiences and easily available information. This is useful in urgent situations and stops us from overthinking.

Cognitive Load

Our brains can only handle so much thinking at once, so heuristics make decision-making easier. They save brainpower by using shortcuts, letting people focus on bigger or harder decisions.

Uncertainty and Complexity

Heuristics help people handle uncertainty by letting them make the best possible guess when all the information isn’t available. They also make complex problems easier to manage by breaking them down and using simple strategies to find "good enough" solutions.

Habits

Shortcuts are built into our everyday habits and routines. They help us make quick choices — like picking a usual brand, outfit, or seat — without thinking too much.

Patterns and Predictions

Heuristics help us spot patterns and make guesses based on what we’ve seen before. For example, we might judge someone or something by how much they match a typical example we have in our minds.

Advantages

• Heuristics help people make "good enough" decisions without needing all the information.

• They avoid the need for complex thinking or heavy calculations.

• Humans can’t process everything, so they work with what they know.

• They're useful when quick decisions are needed, like in fast-moving situations.

• Heuristics save time when there's no chance to compare all options carefully

Disadvantages

• Heuristics can lead to decisions that aren’t the best or most accurate.

• Quick choices without full information can cause judgment errors.

• Mistakes can happen when we rely too much on shortcuts.

• Heuristics can create biases in how we think and decide.

• These biases can lead to irrational behavior.

The real key to making decisions is knowing when to think quickly and heuristics, or to consider a decision more carefully, using a wide range of sources such as statistical data, first-hand experience, and advice from those who know more.

After all, deciding what socks to wear in the morning doesn't require the same amount of effort as deciding what career you should pursue.

Photo by Creative Christians on Unsplash

You’re new in your job as a junior designer at a tech company. You’ve been asked to suggest someone to help you present your team’s concept in a meeting with senior management tomorrow. You don’t know many people yet, but need to decide quickly.

These are some of your colleagues:

Jordan, who you remember seeing mentioned in a company newsletter for winning an internal design award.

Casey, who made a great first impression by dressing professionally and speaking confidently during onboarding.

Drew, who someone briefly mentioned is "really experienced" when you joined, though you haven’t interacted with them yet.

Riley, who gave you a friendly smile this morning, which made you feel comfortable.

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that help us make fast decisions, especially under pressure or with limited information.

While they save time and reduce cognitive load, they can also lead to biased thinking and poor judgment. Recognizing common types — like availability, representativeness, anchoring, and affect — can help us make better, more balanced decisions at work and in everyday life.