Mammalian brain · Affect & Drives
Affect Heuristic
A quick feeling of good or bad substitutes for analysis of risk and benefit; things you like seem safer and more beneficial than they are, things you dislike the reverse.
An everyday example
Rating a friendly adviser's product as low-risk without reading the terms.
What it can cost you
Liking standing in for evaluation; sellers who invest in being liked.
Warning signs
- It feels safe because I like it.
- I have not actually looked at the downside.
One thing to do
Separate the two judgments: rate the person, then rate the offer on paper as if a stranger made it.
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