The Heuristics and Biases Program

The Heuristics and Biases Program, initiated by psychologists like Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, studies how people make decisions. It highlights that we often rely on mental shortcuts, called heuristics, which simplify decision-making but can lead to systematic errors, or biases. For example, we might overestimate the likelihood of dramatic events because they are memorable. Understanding these patterns helps clarify why we sometimes make irrational choices, influencing fields like economics, psychology, and public policy, ultimately improving decision-making processes in personal and professional life.