Abstract
Simplicity is a fundamental tenet of cognition intended to cope with a complex and intricate world. Based on the writings of the German philosopher Hans Vaihinger, this article introduces a wide-ranging simplification scheme denoted the “as if” heuristic. Following this heuristic, much of our productive and constructive thoughts about the world, specifically in science, are based on idealized fictitious assumptions. Although descriptions of the world as portrayed by psychological models and theories may contain fictitious elements (antithetical or at least indifferent to the search for truth), they afford a simplification tool that facilitates our comprehension of a complex and obscured world. Numerous examples from the psychological literature in which the “as if” heuristic is apparent are presented. Specifically, we analyze the implications of exploiting the heuristic for the development of psychological constructs, theory building, and the foundations of psychological measurement. While highlighting the gains acquired from the use of the “as if” heuristic, we also discuss its possible pitfalls if not properly used.
Highlights
Human behavior is multifaceted, overly rich, and excessively complex to be understood without first simplifying it
We briefly introduce Vaihinger’s framework and examine its key constructs of fictions and the “as if” heuristic
A central feature encapsulated in the cognitive system is the search for simplicity, which can be attained by different means
Summary
Overly rich, and excessively complex to be understood without first simplifying it. People tend to perceive patterns as units or wholes allowing them to simplify perception and cognition. This tendency can be traced back to Gestalt psychology and its laws of organization (e.g., Wagemans, Elder, et al, 2012; Wagemans, Feldman, et al, 2012). The “law of Prägnanz” (law of simplicity) postulates that stimuli tend to be perceived in their most simple form. Gestalt principles, such as figure–ground, closure, proximity, or continuation, all promote in one way or another simplification while maintaining internal consistency (e.g., Rock, 1975)
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