Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) Practice Exam

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that individuals use to make quick and efficient decisions based on limited information. While they can be helpful in many situations, a primary disadvantage is that they may lead to cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, which can result in poor decision-making.

For example, when people use heuristics like availability (basing judgments on readily available information) or representativeness (judging the likelihood of an event based on how closely it resembles a typical case), they might overlook relevant data or overgeneralize from specific examples. This can skew their perceptions, leading to faulty conclusions or decisions that do not reflect reality.

In contrast, while heuristics can indeed simplify complex decisions and sometimes work well, they do not guarantee correctness. Additionally, relying heavily on heuristics does not necessitate extensive knowledge; in fact, they are often used precisely to make decisions in situations where individuals may lack comprehensive information or expertise.