Argument-Making And Cognitive Analysis

Laziness is a trait that the human race possess by nature. That being said, people are most likely to search for the most economical ways to move about or do things (Oaklander, 2015). Similarly, when it comes to making judgments, human beings tend to look for the easiest and shortest ways possible. Such aspect of the human race is considerably heuristic, which can generally be defined as a cognitive rule of thumb that helps an individual to solve problems or make decisions in a quick and easy manner. According to Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, it is common and automatic for people to use cognitive shortcuts when making judgments, in the processing of new information (2012). Heuristics basically allow individuals to make decisions with ease

Argument-making is basically the effort to be logical, regardless of the outcome, and is reliant on the relevant reasons and facts, as they are seen during the process of making a decision. Heuristic thinking, on the other hand, is a way of making judgments or decisions by using mental shortcuts and relying upon situational cues (Snap Judgments, n.d.), and it is used more often than argument-making. In other words, the judgments people make in daily life are more often reactive and instinctive than they are reflective and deliberative. Take the process of writing an essay as an example. While the fingers are tapping the keys, the minds are focused on arranging the texts instead of on situating the letters on the keyboard. Such thinking is useful in particularly familiar situations, as well as when immediate action is required. For example, when a person is asked to think about an animal that starts with the letter ‘E’, he or she will most likely think of an elephant first before an eagle or eel. Similarly, in a test that requires one to think of a fruit that starts will the letter ‘A’, an apple will most likely come to mind instead of an apricot. The same can be applied to the color of the apple, whereby most people will think of red instead of green. This is perhaps