Page 156 - The Social Animal

138 The Social Animal

(mosquitoes) and the result (malaria). The representative heuristic is
used to identify psychological causes, as well. For example, in the
1960s and 1970s, many conservative adults clung to the belief that
the political radicalism exhibited by the college students of that era
was caused by permissive child-rearing practices. In early psychoan-
alytic theorizing, an obsessive-compulsive personality was known as
anal retentive and was believed to be the direct result of early and se-
vere toilet-training practices. In the overwhelming majority of
American presidential elections, the taller of the two major candi-
dates has emerged victorious—suggesting the possibility that some
Americans may implicitly believe that height may have something to
do with the ability to lead.
The representative heuristic is often used to form impressions
and to make judgments about other persons. The first information
we pick up about a person—information about gender, race, physi-
cal attractiveness, and social status—is usually associated with sim-
ple rules that guide thought and behavior. Gender and ethnic
stereotypes tell us “just how men and women differ” and “what a par-
ticular member of an ethnic group is like.” Much research has
demonstrated that most people leap to the conclusion that beautiful
people are more successful, sensitive, warmer, and of better character
than less attractive people. Persons of high social stature, often in-
ferred by dress and mannerisms, are respected and held in high es-
teem. Is it any wonder that “get ahead” self-help books often describe
how to take advantage of these heuristics by urging their readers to
“dress for success”; that is, to wear the kinds of clothes that will cre-
ate the image of a successful person? This is the representative
heuristic in action.

The Availability Heuristic Suppose you go to a restaurant
with some friends. Your friend Neal orders a steak with onion rings,
but the waiter brings his steak with fries instead. “Oh, well,” he says.
“No big deal—I like fries almost as much as onion rings.”This opens
a discussion as to whether he should have sent back his order. Mar-
lene accuses Neal of being unassertive. He turns to you and asks, “Do
you think I’m an unassertive person?” How would you answer this
question?
If you know Neal well and have already formed a picture of how
assertive he is, you can recite your answer easily and quickly. Suppose,