The gaze heuristic is a
heuristic
A heuristic (; ), or heuristic technique, is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate ...
used in directing correct motion to achieve a goal using one main variable. An example of the gaze heuristic is catching a ball. The gaze heuristic is one example of psychologist
Gerd Gigerenzer's one good reason heuristic, where human animals and non-human animals are able to process large amounts of information quickly and react, regardless of whether the information is consciously processed.
The gaze heuristic is a critical element in animal behavior, being used in
predation
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
heavily. At the most basic level, the gaze heuristic ignores all casual relevant variables to make quick
gut reactions.
Example
A catcher using the gaze heuristic observes the initial angle of the ball and runs towards it in such a way as to keep this angle constant.
Experimental studies
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
have shown that if people ignore the fact they were solving a system of
differential equation
In mathematics, a differential equation is an equation that relates one or more unknown functions and their derivatives. In applications, the functions generally represent physical quantities, the derivatives represent their rates of change, an ...
s to catch the ball, and simply follow the gaze heuristic they will consistently arrive in the exact spot the ball is predicted to hit the ground. The gaze heuristic does not require knowledge of any of the variables required by the optimizing approach, nor does it require the catcher to integrate information, yet it allows the catcher to successfully catch the ball.
Fast and frugal heuristics in sports
Bennis and Pachur. Retrieved 27 March 2014 The gaze heuristic may therefore be described at ecologically rational at least in the simple case of catching a ball in the air.
References
{{reflist
Heuristics