Heuristicians at work, better decision-makers for life.

Decision heuristics science is flowing in the veins of every Newristics employee!

Being a part of the Newristics team changes the way employees interact with the world around them. They not only experience a greater understanding of human decision-making but also ameliorate their understanding of their own selves by virtue of being able to recognize every heuristic they personally use to make decisions! Every employee at Newristics is a heuristician, and a better person because of it! Meet our team and read about their favorite heuristic!

Executive Group

Gaurav Kapoor

President

Attribute Substitution

We unconsciously avoid making a complex or difficult decision with an easier one because we believe that doing something is better than doing nothing which is not always true.

"Attribute Substitution has taught me a lot about parenting! No app, website, or book can substitute time spent with your children. It doesn't even have to be "high quality" time!"
Channing Stave

Chief Operating Officer

Enormousity

If a task seems too large to solve, humans more likely will give up on it, and leave others in higher positions to solve them.

With 660 different heuristics to choose from, it’s impossible to select just one favorite, so I let someone else choose it for me."
Art McKee

Chief Revenue Officer

Chance Illusion

Humans underestimate the number of chances at the same thing that they'll get during their lifetimes.

You only get one chance in life, so you need to make the most of it!
Judy Friefield

Chief Financial Officer

Confirmation Bias

We interpret evidence in a way that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore or avoid contradictory evidence, and this often prevents us from making the best decision.

Confirmation Bias plagues the market research industry! Often a good study is one that confirms the themes we have heard in other market research studies, right?

Senior Leadership

Monica Lichwick

Functional Fixedness

We assume that an object can only be used for its intended purpose and has no other value just because we have never tried to use it for any other purpose. However, others may have found alternate purpose that we are just unaware of.

I bought a VitaMix for $450 because it is supposed to do so many things. What do I use it for? Making smoothies!
Meg Hessel

Background Contrast Effect

We will show a greater preference for an option if there is a clearly inferior option to compare it to,otherwise we would not.

I decided it was time to upgrade our toaster, and when I went to the store, I noticed there were a couple of 4-slot toasters but only one had the bagel option. I had to get the one with bagel option and give into Attraction Effect!
Bill Engler

Egocentric Bias

We may take more personal credit for a group outcome than an external observer would give us.

I have always been a creative guy. If I am on a project team, it is quite likely that the best ideas are coming from me!
Shaikat Sen

Opportunity Cost Neglect

A dollar saved is a dollar earned, but we neglect the value of a dollar saved and spend it right back.

I was getting a new phone at Verizon and the Samsung S6 was marked down $350! I ended up getting one for me and one for my mom.
Cheryl Palay

Disjunctive Rule

We establish acceptable minimums as cutoff points for certain attributes of a product rather than judge it on all attributes, as a whole.

When I bought my new SUV, I just looked for two things - can my 120 lb dog stand upright in the trunk and is the monthly payment less than $250! You call that Disjunctive Rule?
Sheryl Bronkesh

Bandwagon Effect

We do things just because many other people do them, even if we don't enjoy them personally.

Every six months, the weight loss industry finds a new miracle ingredient to help lose weight, and millions of people fall for it every single time. Even I fell for Garcinia Camboggia!
Jim Vielee

Happy People, Happy Choices

When we are in a good mood, we make optimistic choices, but when we are in a bad mood, we make pessimistic ones, even though we should not let our mood determine our choices.

I love this heuristic because I am a happy person lucky enough to enjoy the benefits happiness brings.
Tyler Correll

Optimism Bias

We are often more optimistic about our future prospects than the data suggests we should be.

As an avid angler, I am a sucker for Optimism Bias. You can’t go fishing without an irrationally healthy dose of Optimism Bias.
Tammy Ryerson

Actor-Observer Bias

We attribute other people’s behavior to their personality, but our own behavior to situational factors,and therefore, frequently apply a double standard.

I have always wondered why people donate money to a cause, but never give a dollar to a homeless guy on the street. They think he is responsible for his own homelessness.

Team

Amy Nelson

Current Moment Bias

We would rather experience pleasure in the moment and leave pain for later, even though it's not always the best thing to do.

I have heartburn and I know exactly what foods cause it. Somehow, I keep thinking that this time it won't be so bad and keep going for that fajita.
April McCormick

Peak-End Rule

We may judge an experience almost entirely on its qualities at its peak and ending, disregarding elements such as net pleasantness and duration.

Coming back from Disney World, all I remembered was the fun times we had with family. Somehow, I forgot the 2 hour long waits! I wonder how that happens.
Chelsea Burkey

Mere Token Effect

When deciding between options with smaller immediate payouts and larger later payouts, by adding even a minor immediate (limited value) payout to both options increases our likelihood to wait for the later option, even though nothing has really changed.

I'm always conflicted between ordering the made-to-order chocolate soufflé (which I love!) or the pre-made cheesecake. But this time, when the waiter offered a small truffle if I ordered the soufflé, it made my decision super easy!
Carl Hormann

Accountability Bias

We make decisions based on how well they can be justified to others, rather than making an objective decision.

When my car was totalled, I wanted to buy a motorcycle. However, since a regular sedan is much easier to justify to my wife and family, I drive a sedan now!
Catherine Loden

Ratio Preference Bias

We prefer probabilities expressed as a simple ratio vs. a percentage, even though they express the same probabilities.

1 out of 56 boys is likely to have autism now! I didn't realize how bad the situation is until I heard it presented like that!
Chantal Louw

Reciprocity

We respond to a positive action with another positive action, rather than objectively deciding the best action.

If somebody holds the elevator door for me, I will always hold it for them!
Dana Kresojevich

Ambiguity Aversion

Humans prefer options with fewer unknowns and avoid options with missing information.

Ambiguity Aversion is why it is so easy to order pizza instead of sandwiches. Everyone knows bread, cheese and sauce!
Diana Sharkey

Frequency Illusion

Once we become aware of a particular phenomenon, we start seeing it more frequently and perceive it as more frequent than it actually is.

I no longer watch TV in the same way, thanks to Frequency Illusion! I'm either looking at ads from all the brands we've worked on or identifying the many, many heuristics on the ads!
Diane Burgess

Group Think

We are more likely to "go with the flow" when working as a team simply to maintain harmony because we don't like to be the one to create group conflict.

I must honor Group Think. I do not like Italian, but somehow most of my outings with friends end up at an Italian joint.
Gillian Ruehl

Loss Aversion

We prefer to not lose what we have even if it is to get something better.

Even though it’s not my money, and we should never need to use it, I always keep overdraft protection on all our company accounts. I guess you can say I give into Loss Aversion every time!
Ian Miller

Spotlight Effect

Humans think they are in the spotlight, with people focusing on their physical appearance and presentation, more often than they actually are.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve changed shirts before leaving the house just because I see an ink spot on my pocket.
Karen Vielee

Authority

We tend to blindly follow those in positions of authority, regardless of whether she/he is right or wrong.

For 20 years, I had a simple rule of thumb for buying wine. If Robert Parker gave it >90 points and it was <$15, just buy it. Now I know most of his wines give me a headache!
Katie Reed

Imprinting

Some of our behaviors are direct results of certain childhood experiences that continue to impact our minds and our lives.

I wish I wasn't so scared of dogs. I am really scared of dogs (even small dogs!) because I saw someone get bit by a stray dog when I was 5 years old. This is Imprinting at its worst!
Lisa Baer

Status Quo Bias

We like things to stay relatively the same and fear the risk of change will not be worth it, but sometimes we don't even consider the potential benefits!

Status Quo Bias may have to do something with the fact that even though I have been talking about remodeling our kitchen for 9 years, it still looks the same!
Maria Briseno

Power of Free

We prefer “free” goods even if there is a cost to acquiring them and they are not really "free".

I love when the grocery store has a Buy 10, Get 2 Free. It makes me feel like I'm taking advantage of the store by stocking up my pantry!
Michael Hayden

Customization Bias

Humans prefer options that they can customize (even if they don't desire any customization).

I love how there are so many ways to customize my drink at Starbucks, but what I really love is their Verona blend with lots of cream! Yummm.
Natalie Guarna

Compromaxing

Sometimes we want it all, and don't want to give up anything to get there.

I am aware of my Compromaxing tendencies because I want it all: to do a great job at work, stay connected with my family, catch up with my friends and on the latest happenings, and get enough sleep to stay energized. And I don't want to give up anything to have it all!
Perry Erlichman

Rule of Consistency

We feel we need to maintain and project a consistent image of ourselves and sometimes go overboard to do so.

I have always been known for my deep voice. When I have a cold and lose my natural voice, I don't feel like my self and am hyper-conscious of my interactions with people.
Rex Parks

Anchoring

We rely too heavily on the first piece of information and make judgments based on it, just because it was the first piece and not because it is in any way more important than the subsequent pieces of information.

For my first place out of college, which was in a suburb, I paid $850 in rent. I have been living in the city for 12 years now and still can't get over how much I pay in rent!
Samantha Burstein

Open Option Bias

We want to keep options open whenever possible to avoid feeling locked down, even if it doesn't make any sense to do that.

I have 830 channels on my Time Warner cable box, but I mostly watch NBC, Fox, and HBO. When will I come to terms with my Open Option Bias?
Sharanya Kumar

Hyperbolic Discounting

Humans strongly prefer immediate rather than later payoffs, even if the later payoff is larger.

If I won the lottery, I would definitely take the 50% payment option now. What if they run out of business next year?
Tiffany Shomer

Projective Satisficing

We believe that if something is good enough for a peer, then it is good enough for us too, even though that may not be the case.

Whenever I go out with friends, I just order the same thing as my foodie friend Cathy. I know I will never go wrong with her pick.
Payal Kode

Diffusion of Responsibility

We take increasingly less personal responsibility as the number of people in the group increases. This is the reason why larger groups tend to impede progress rather than accelerate it.

Diffusion of Responsibility is why every office, small or large, has a big sign in the kitchen area that reminds people to "Clean their own dishes", and yet it never works!
Courtney Soucy

Vibe Bias

Humans are drawn to others who share their thoughts and beliefs as they feel empowered by the external validation.

When I first started college, it was easier to make friends in my major classes because I knew they shared my thoughts and interests about neuroscience!