ABSTRACT
As noted in the previous chapter, likes and dislikes are simple yet important judgmental heuristics. Individuals almost automatically assess what they like and what they dislike about a particular person, object, or situation that they encounter, and then use these likes and dislikes as guides for additional assessments in the future, and ultimately as guides to action if and when action is called for. A good deal of substantive information can be compacted into a simple like or dislike, effectively summarizing the information and cataloging it for future use. We all know what we like and what we dislike and why we like and dislike these things, and these judgments matter when we contemplate just about everything we encounter in our daily lives. For example, this morning I made breakfast for my wife and two children. The menu comprised bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, and bananas. I like bacon, hash browns, and toast, and so I readily placed some of each on my plate. I do not like eggs or bananas, and thus I did not take either of these foods. Likes and dislikes-about anything-are important.
