Judging by Heuristic: Cognitive Illusions in Judicial Decision Making

Authors

Chris Guthrie, Vanderbilt University Law SchoolFollow
Jeffrey J. Rachlinski, Cornell Law SchoolFollow
Andrew J. Wistrich, U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2002

Keywords

Judicial decision-making, Cognitive illusions, Egocentric bias, Inverse fallacy, Hindsight bias, Framing, Anchoring, Heuristics

Disciplines

Cognitive Psychology | Judges | Litigation

Abstract

Many people rely on mental shortcuts, or heuristics, to make complex decisions, but this sometimes leads to inaccurate inferences, or cognitive illusions. A recent study suggests such cognitive illusions influence judicial decision making.

Recommended Citation

Guthrie, Chris; Rachlinski, Jeffrey J.; and Wistrich, Andrew J., "Judging by Heuristic: Cognitive Illusions in Judicial Decision Making" (2002). Cornell Law Faculty Publications. 862.
https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/862

Publication Citation

Published in: Judicature, vol. 86, no. 1 (July-August 2002).