Simon`s Puzzle: Heuristics in the Process of Making Political Choices

• Main Authors: Mateusz Wajzer, Tymoteusz Staniucha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Croatian Interdisciplinary Society 2014-07-01
• Series: Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems
• Subjects: Simon`s puzzle; heuristics; political choice; voting behaviour; somatic marker hypothesis
• Online Access: http://indecs.eu/2014/indecs2014-pp210-224.pdf

In this article we analyse one of the most fascinating paradoxes of mass politics. Based on the data from the studies of neurobiologists, neurologists, social psychology, cognitive and evolution studies we answer the question specified in literature as the Simon’s puzzle: How is it possible that citizens have their opinions about politics, if they know so little about it? We began our analysis from the criticism of the economic rationality approach. To do this, we referred to the Allais paradox, cognitive dissonance theory, Ellsberg paradox, the concept of bounded rationality, conjunction fallacy and prospect theory. Next, we described the evolutionary processes shaping the minds of Homo sapiens and characterised cognitive mechanisms, thanks to which people can make political choices, especially in view of the shortage of time and information. The following heuristics are referred to herein: affect, recognition, judgment and imitation.