The affect heuristic is a mental shortcut where our emotions guide our decisions more strongly than logical analysis. Instead of carefully weighing pros and cons, we often let our feelings about a situation determine how risky, safe, good, or bad it seems.
For example, if you have a positive impression of a brand, you may assume its products are safe and of high quality without verifying the details. On the other hand, if something triggers fear—like flying—you may judge it as highly risky, even though statistics show flying is safer than driving.
The affect heuristic illustrates the close connection between thinking and feeling. It can save time in decision-making, but it can also lead to errors when emotions overshadow facts. Being aware of this bias allows us to pause, ask ourselves, “Am I deciding based on facts or just feelings?”, and aim for more balanced choices.