1. Does cognitive heuristics help
electorate make better decisions
and vote for right candidate?
Zhou Hao 11186119
Kittikun Sangnin 11307345
Jiayuan Huang 11472267

2. Introduction
• Cognitive Heuristics
• Our question
• Why is it Interesting?
 public issues
 effectiveness of decision making process by voters
 right leader?

3. Literature Review
• Political Cognitive Heuristics
Party Affiliation
Ideology
Endorsements
Polls result
Candidates’ Appearance
• Lau and Redlawsk’s Hypotheses
All voters employ heuristics
Effectiveness vs. Sophistication
Complexity of Situation vs. Frequency/Accuracy of
Use

4. Literature Review (Continue)
• Methodology : Dynamic Process Tracing, Mock
Election
• Analysis of Result
• Their Discussion

10. Discussion
• Result of using cognitive heuristic
 Efficiency
 Political experts
 Biases
 Direct Measure
 Political Sophistication
 Situational Factors

11. Reflection
• Limitations of article
Research design lack in “mundane realism”
Evaluation of the candidates’ effectiveness lack in
the appropriate measurement
Study is held on the large scale of area, it should be
carried out the small primary election

12. Conclusion
• voters applied the cognitive heuristics in
decision making
• It is reasonable to conclude that the political
sophistication result in the better use of
cognitive heuristic.
• In the complex environment, there is an
increase in the probability of application of the
cognitive heuristic by voters.

13. Reference
• Lau, Richard R., Redlawsk, David P., 2001.
‘Advantages and Disadvantages of Cognitive
Heuristics in Political Decision Making’.
American Journal of Political Science
45(October):951-971.
• Kahneman, Daniel, Paul Slovic, and Amos
Tversky, Eds. 1982. ‘Judgement Under
Uncertainty:Heuristics and Biases’. N` ew York:
Cambridge.