heuristic

(noun)

An experience-based technique for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Examples include using a rule of thumb or making an educated guess.

Related Terms

  • Legitimate Heuristic
  • outgroup
  • ingroup
  • stereotype

Examples of heuristic in the following topics:

  • Groups

    • Heuristics are sometimes perceived to be legitimate assumptions about an individual and sometimes deemed illegitimate.
    • Legitimate heuristics tend to just be those that import positive generalizations to a particular person.
    • However, the same heuristic can function in negative ways; this is the underlying mechanism that enables stereotypes.
    • Both legitimate and illegitimate heuristics demonstrate how knowledge about one's group affiliations conveys perceived social knowledge about that individual.
    • Discuss how heuristics allow people to learn about people within a society based on group affiliation and give examples of both positive and negative heuristics
  • Stereotypes in Everyday Life

    • Stereotypes are useful for the human brain because they operate as a heuristic or a cognitive mechanism to quickly gather, process, and synthesize information.
    • Therefore, we have heuristics to make the process more efficient.
    • In line with the reasoning that describes heuristics, distinguishing oneself from others is a cognitively necessary step; it allows us to develop a sense of identity.
    • Given the social and cognitive necessities of heuristics, the problem with stereotyping is not the existence of the cognitive function.
  • Conflict Theory

    • A heuristic device to help you think about society from a conflict perspective is to ask, "Who benefits from this element of society?
  • Culture and Biology

    • Instead, it is a useful heuristic, or way of thinking, that can be very productive in understanding behavior.
Subjects
  • Accounting
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  • Calculus
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  • Microbiology
  • Physics
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  • Psychology
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  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
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