What does the representativeness heuristic lead individuals to do in decision making?

The representativeness heuristic is a mental shortcut that individuals use when making decisions, particularly when they categorize options or make judgments based on how similar they are to typical examples or prototypes. This heuristic can lead people to choose options that seem correct based on superficial similarities rather than thoroughly evaluating all relevant information.

When individuals rely on the representativeness heuristic, they often overlook important statistical or probabilistic considerations. Instead, they depend on how much an option resembles what they expect it to be, which can lead to misjudgments and errors in decision-making. For instance, if someone encounters a situation that resembles a stereotype or a well-known case, they may choose that option even without adequate evidence or analysis of the actual situation.

In contrast, selecting options solely based on familiarity, making decisions purely based on gut feeling, and accurately weighing options based on statistical evidence do not fully encapsulate the essence of what the representativeness heuristic entails. These alternatives address different aspects of decision-making processes, such as familiarity with information or reliance on intuition, rather than focusing specifically on the inclination to choose options based on resemblance to perceived norms or prototypes.