"Our everyday models of human behavior are based on simplistic thinking," Trenholm emphasizes on page369. The concept of heuristics can be seen in a handful of our everyday experiences. Heuristics are rules of thumb that allow us to avoid careful information processing. The book uses examples of when difficult encounters of information we look for cues or rely on authority to make sense of the information at hand. One example is 'I didn't understand it, but my dad said it was true;' or the argument seemed odd, but after all, the author did go to Harvard. Heuristics can be helpful in times of complete confusion or be an aid for educated guesses but Heuristics can be easily misconstrued.
Heuristics were misconstrued during WWII with the Internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans. The United States determined any person of Japanese ancestry was a threat to the safety of the United States and interned them for the entire duration of WWII. No one questioned the discriminatory regulations and laws which placed the Japanese community in these internment camps because if the 'authority' such as the President of the United States says the Japanese are a threat, then it must be a valid argument. If the President of the United States see these new regulations as a need for our safety then they must be a threat.
Heuristics should not be the only way to gain information, and that is why researchers and other forms of scientific methodology are used.
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I thought the concept of heuristics was interesting too. It is something that I think we all use everyday, but did not know the term for it. Our reliance on cues can help us in certain situations and may get us into trouble at other times.
ReplyDeleteI like your example of the unnecessary internment of the Japanese during WWII. I think even now we misuse heuristics after the 9/11 incident, where all Muslims are seen as terrorists and the cause of two unwarranted wars!!!
I agree with you, heuristics should not be used as the main source of gaining information. We live in such a complex world with the media having a big influence on our thoughts. It is no longer feasible to base our behaviors and judgments on “simplistic thinking.”
I've read several responses to chapter 13 and this theme of heuristics is a common theme amongst the favorites of those in our class. I too find this a very interesting concept. The example you chose of the Japanese intern camp is an extraordinary example and it shows the danger of this type of simple thinking. It is somewhat amazing how often we take for granted what is “truth” when in fact it is just what has been the most convenient or first logical explanation. It is important that we take the time and analyze what is in fact truth and this takes careful research.
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