HEURISTIC REASONING

CARMEL RAJ
Introduction

• In our daily life, we are obliged to use heuristic reasoning. often

we are not sure whether we shall attain complete certainty, until
we shall have obtained the complete solution.
• Heuristic reasoning is often based on induction or on analogy.
• Heuristic reasoning is good in itself. What is bad, is to mix up
heuristic reasoning with rigorous proof.
TOPICS

What is Heuristics

The nature of Heuristic principles

Why do we use Heuristics?

Do Heuristics make us more

successful?
When heuristics are wrong

Cognitive Bias

Heuristics and Algorithms

Concluding Remarks
What is Heuristics
What is Heuristic?

A heuristic is the human ability to investigate or

invent decisions, solutions, with the intention of
finding ideas, strategies, methods, faster and
easier criteria, that allow solving more difficult and
complicated problems.

There are decisions generally biased, that are

deviating from theoretical normality with the risk of
making mistakes, cognitive biases, or stupid errors.
The nature of Heuristic Principles

Heuristic principles are simple decision rules through which individuals make
judgments. Instead of using all available and relevant information, individuals
make inferences based upon "adequate" instead of "optimum" information.

Heuristic processes represent cognitive shortcuts. Events, episodes and

arguments are assessed as possessing (or not possessing) relevant features which
would allow their inclusion from category lists.

The application of heuristic principles is "tacit" insofar as they operate beyond

the individual's
ability to offer an explicit account of their operation.
The individual "knows" beyond what can be explained. As such, heuristic principles, while explaining
decisional processes, do not operate as "rational rules" for decision making, but rather may be
understood as the rationalization of decision making.

One may ask "why" individuals rely upon heuristic principles for decision making
when more complete accounts would be preferred. A simple, pragmatic reason for our reliance upon
heuristic principles suggests we utilize them for reasons of economy .

Each of us is potentially subject to many decisions, each of which could accompanied by an

enormous amount of information. Moreover, the importance of each decision may be of varying
personal significance. The time demands of honoring each decision with elaborate and
complex decision making. processes is a luxury most of us cannot afford.
Why do we use Heuristics?

The human brain and all its processes—

including heuristics—
developed over millions of years of evoluti
on
. Since mental shortcuts save both
cognitive energy and time, they likely
provided an advantage to those who relied
on them.
Does Heuristics make us more successful

Generally, yes. Navigating day-to-day life

requires everyone to make countless small
decisions within a limited timeframe.
Heuristics can help individuals save time
and mental energy, 
freeing up cognitive resources for more
complex planning and problem-solving
endeavors.
When Heuristics are wrong
Heuristics, while useful, are imperfect; if relied
on too heavily, they can result in incorrect
judgments or cognitive biases. Some are more
likely to steer people wrong than others.
Assuming, for example, that child
abductions are common because they’re
frequently reported on the news—an
example of the availability heuristic—may
trigger unnecessary fear or overprotective 
parenting practices. Understanding
commonly unhelpful heuristics, and
identifying situations where they could
affect behavior, may help individuals avoid
such mental pitfalls.
 Cognitive Bias

Although
It is important
heuristics are
to distinguish
indeed helpful
Cognitive biases Humans in problem
cognitive biases
are flaws in from other
judgement.
develop solving, under
forms of bias,
cognitive conditions of
They are either such as cultural
complexity and
caused by biases for uncertainty,
bias,
memory, or organizational
statistical many they are known
bias, or bias
to produce
errors. reasons. systematic
that results
from ones own
errors in
self-interest.
judgement.
The Heuristics and Biases Tradition

The literature consistently shows that people use a subsystem of intuitive mental routines
to cope with the complexity inherent in most decisions.

These simplifying heuristic mechanisms, although prone to bias and errors, are
nonetheless essential in directing our judgement easily go unchecked.

Again intuitive reasoning relies on experiential, tacit knowledge undergirded by heuristic

rules to streamline judgements. However, since not all information is considered in this
mental process, heuristics can lead to predictable errors in judgement.
Overconfidence Bias

People often tend to be overly confident about the infallibility of their judgements
and the accuracy of their judgements and the accuracy of their estimations. The
consequences can range from annoyance to severe repercussions.

Although confidence in our abilities and judgements is necessary for achievement in

life, overconfidence about the accuracy of predictions results in setting too narrow a
range of possibilities and overlooking probable outcomes.

However, tests and disciplines can be built into our thought processes to uncover
errors in thinking before they become errors in judgement.
Algorithm and Heuristics
Concluding Remarks

Epistemology is systematic study of knowledge,

perhaps the best way to connect  or correlate
‘heuristic’ with ‘epistemic’ would be to view
heuristics as practical means to acquire
knowledge.

So while heuristics may be means to all sorts of

ends, including knowledge, there are other (non-
heuristic) ways to acquire or extend knowledge.
There may be a means-to-end correlation, but
each one may also be independent of or
unrelated to the other in many ways .