What are heuristics?

Heuristics refer to the mental shortcuts that individuals use to simplify decision-making and problem-solving. Rather than engaging in extensive analysis or calculation, which can be time-consuming and cognitively taxing, heuristics allow people to make quick judgments based on experience, intuition, or general rules of thumb. This approach often leads to satisfactory solutions without the need for exhaustive information processing.

The reason for choosing this definition is that heuristics are invaluable in everyday situations where time and cognitive resources are limited. For instance, when faced with a choice of which restaurant to eat at, a person might use a heuristic such as "choose the one with the longest line," assuming that popularity reflects quality.

Other options describe methodologies or concepts that do not fit the definition of heuristics. Systematic procedures that guarantee correct solutions refer to algorithms, which are structured and reliable but not as flexible as heuristics. Complex processes involving extensive calculation do not align with the simplistic nature of heuristics. Rules that help improve memory efficiency could refer to mnemonic devices rather than decision-making shortcuts, marking a distinction from the cognitive function of heuristics. Thus, the correct option captures the essence of heuristics as practical, efficient tools for navigating daily choices and challenges.