Comparison
Biases vs Heuristics
Main difference in one sentence
A bias is the tilt in judgment, while a heuristic is the quick shortcut that may create that tilt.
Brain Shortcuts that Tilt Judgment
Cognitive Biases
Biases push judgment in a direction. They can make a person overtrust the first number, favorite evidence, or recent story.
Fast Rules of Thumb
Heuristics
Heuristics are fast mental rules that save time. They are useful in many daily choices, but they can mislead when the problem is complex.
Example where people confuse them
A parent hears one scary story about a product and now thinks the product is common and risky. The shortcut is the availability heuristic. The tilted judgment that follows is a bias in how risk gets judged.
Quick memory trick
Heuristic means the fast tool. Bias means the bend it can leave behind.