What is a heuristic in cognitive psychology?

In cognitive psychology, a heuristic represents a mental shortcut or rule of thumb that individuals use to make quick decisions or judgments. These are strategies that simplify decision-making by reducing the cognitive load needed to analyze every piece of available information. When faced with complex problems or uncertainty, a heuristic allows for rapid decision-making, often relying on past experiences and intuitive understanding rather than exhaustive analysis.

For example, when deciding which of two options to choose based on familiarity or past success, individuals may favor the choice that appeared to work well in similar circumstances before, illustrating the essence of heuristic processing. Although heuristics can expedite decision-making, they may also lead to biases and errors in judgment—this is why it's essential to recognize their implications in cognitive processes.

Other options provided focus on more methodical approaches or negative aspects of cognition that do not accurately capture the nature of heuristics, which prioritize efficiency in decision-making over comprehensiveness.