ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore heuristics as practical strategies that play complex roles in sustainability action. While heuristics have been defined in many different ways, researchers usually use the term to refer to various cognitive strategies or ‘rules of thumb’ that are applied in order to reduce effort in resolving complex problems (Shah and Oppenheimer 2008). However, the role of heuristics in problem solving is probably more complex than is often assumed. If applied inflexibly, heuristic strategies can be an obstacle to efficient problem solving. In the face of such challenges, we discuss the social psychological prerequisites for efficient ways of applying cooperative heuristics in resolving complex environmental problems in practice.
