CTS
Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad
How do you evaluate heuristics? Dr. Gigerenzer emphasizes the two different existing approaches that describe the state of the field. In the descriptive approach, researchers try to find out whether people actually use a particular heuristic. In the normative approach, researchers try to understand under which conditions a given heuristic performs optimal. This requires rigorous methodology and mathematical modeling.
Interdisciplinary research has been a hot topic in modern science for many years, but only a small number of research groups have fully embraced the concept. In this interview, Dr. Gigerenzer describes the organization of his research group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany. Getting researchers from different disciplines to work together requires a focus on a problem, not a disciplinary paradigm - as well as informal coffee hours to exchange ideas.