Cognitive Shortcuts:

A cognitive shortcut, also known as a heuristic, is a mental strategy or rule of thumb that helps people make decisions or solve problems quickly and efficiently. Instead of analyzing all available information, the brain uses these shortcuts to save time and effort — especially in complex or uncertain situations.

Common Types of Cognitive Shortcuts:

Availability Heuristic
Judging the likelihood of something based on how easily examples come to mind (e.g., thinking plane crashes are common after seeing news about one).

Representativeness Heuristic
Judging probability based on how much something seems to match a stereotype (e.g., assuming someone is a librarian because they’re quiet and wear glasses).

Anchoring Bias
Relying too heavily on the first piece of information received (the “anchor”) when making decisions (e.g., a price tag setting your expectations).

Confirmation Bias
Favoring information that confirms your preexisting beliefs and ignoring contrary evidence.

Hindsight Bias
Seeing events as more predictable after they’ve happened (“I knew it all along”).

Why We Use Them:

• To save mental effort
• To respond quickly in decision-making
• Because we face information overload in daily life

Downsides:

• Can lead to systematic errors in thinking (cognitive biases)
• May contribute to misjudgments, stereotypes, and poor decisions

Shervan K Shahhian