Cognitive heuristics are generalisation processes that reduce uncertainty

• DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8102014
• Publication Date: 2023-06-24
• Authors: Troy Houser
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Cognitive Psychology; Psychology; Social and Behavioral Sciences

Coping with uncertainty is a ubiquitous challenge that all animals constantly face. Uncertainty makes choosing among options particularly difficult because animals are often unsure about the optimal, or “best”, option. This has led some to posit animals as being largely irrational; however, the ubiquitous nature of uncertainty means that computing optimal decisions is simply not possible for animals. Instead, animals evolved the use of heuristics to make rapid decisions that are often useful. Recently, this use of heuristics has been theorised to be a rational response to ecological constraints on computational capacity. In this Opinion, we expand on this view through the lens of the explorationexploitation dilemma. Specifically, we dissociate between objectively optimal and what we call “platonically optimal” decision-making strategies. Then we describe the computational architecture that can be used to study differences in decision making, and finally, we speculate on a potential connection between heuristics and generalisation processes. Along the way, we incorporate evolutionary, philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific findings to substantiate claims made. The goal of this opinion is to weave together disparate literatures to provide a conceptual framework for decision making in the face of uncertainty.