Affect heuristic

Sound familiar?

Those days when everything just comes together magically? You're already waking up feeling good. Is one talent after another convincing you during the application process?

What is the reason for that?

This is due to the affect heuristic

The affect heuristic describes our tendency to rely on our feelings rather than on specific information when making decisions.

Affects and emotions play an important role in decision-making. Thus, the first response when a new stimulus is perceived is often an emotional one (Zajonc, 1980). Emotions are therefore already felt before or without cognitive activities and can thus influence our decision making.

Anyone who is in a positive emotional state is more likely to perceive an activity as beneficial and low-risk (Slovic, 2000). As a result, an applicant may be approved by an HR manager in a good mood even though objective criteria would have called for a rejection.

Sources

• Zajonc, R.B. (1980). Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences. American Psychologist, 35 (2), 151—175.
• Finucane, M.L., Alhakami, A., Slovic, P., & Johnson, S.M. (2000). The Affect Heuristic in Judgments of Risks and Benefits. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 13 (1), 1—17. doi:10.1002/ (SICI) 1099-0771 (200001/03) 13

This effect is one of 17 patterns that shape hiring decisions. The overview is in Unconscious Bias in Recruiting.