Risky decisions and mental shortcuts: Understanding the workings of the mind to boost good decision making for users.

We are constantly using mental shortcuts called heuristics to reduce de effort of making a decision, specially when we feel we dont have enough time or the outcome of our decision is uncertain. In this article we will list them all with examples, how we can help our users to make and engage in conscious decisions and design better products and experiences in the process.

Mental shortcuts are useful in various aspects of life, from problem-solving to decision-making. Understanding different heuristics can enhance decision-making skills and aid in critical thinking. Here, we’ll explore several heuristics along with explanations and examples:

1.Availability Heuristic: This heuristic involves estimating the likelihood of an event based on how easily similar instances come to mind. People tend to overestimate the probability of events that readily come to mind.

Example: After witnessing a string of car accidents reported in the news, someone might overestimate the likelihood of being involved in a car accident.

Digital Solution: A news aggregator app that provides a diverse range of news sources and topics can counteract the availability heuristic by exposing users to a broader…