PSYA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Availability Heuristic, Daniel Kahneman, Introspection Illusion
Document Summary
We often feel like the choices we make in life are rational, the result of mental calculations related to the costs and bene ts of performing certain actions. Rational choice theory notion that we make choices by maximizing bene ts and minimizing costs. Notion has strong ties to ethics, religion, and law; we believe some choices are wrong and punish those who make them, assuming they made a rational choice. We occasionally make choices in this way but most psychological evidence suggests our choices are far less rational than we might like to think. Full-out rational thought is hard, especially when probabilities are involved; involves consideration of many factors and how they might interact to determine impact of certain choices so we use shortcuts/heuristics (thinking fast without deep, rational consideration) Heuristics things that are usually true most of the time but not always.
