<p>His very first use of heuristic beyond computer science (he won the Turing award in Comp. Science) is from <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/973030?&amp;seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">1946</a>.  </p>

<p>The Proverbs of Administration
Herbert A. Simon, <em>Public Administration Review</em>, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Winter, 1946), pp. 53-67</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If so, the evidence that it is an
  error has never been marshalled or published-apart
  from loose heuristic arguments
  like that quoted above</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-01T14:26:25.430Z
One of my favorite scientists came up with one of my favorite words. Excellent!
Christian Hummeluhr
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-01T14:16:07.687Z
2015-05-01T14:16:07.687Z
linhares
<p>A nice summary about heuristics can be found in: </p>

<p>Gigerenzer, G., &amp; Gaissmaier, W. (2011). <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-psych-120709-145346">Heuristic Decision Making</a>. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 451–482.</p>

<p>In this review "satisficing" (accepting a good enough option) is referred to an earlier reference than the 1958 you cite:
Simon, H.A. (1955). <a href="http://qje.oxfordjournals.org/content/69/1/99.short">A behavioral model of rational choice</a>. Q. J. Econ. 69:99–118.</p>

<p>In their (Gigerenzer &amp; Gaissmaier) history part they also refer to Einstein using the term in his 1905 paper on quantum physics, stating that the view he presented was "incomplete but highly useful".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-25T07:33:19.957Z
2012-07-25T07:33:19.957Z
schultem
<p>I seem to recall that Herbert Simon borrowed the term from computer science, but I cannot remember the initial paper in which he made use of this borrowing.</p>

<p>A google scholar search reveals some papers from 1957-1958, for instance <a href="http://www.u-picardie.fr/~furst/docs/Newell_Simon_Heuristic_Problem_Solving_1958.pdf">this one</a>, but I really felt there was something from earlier in the 1950s.</p>

<reference-request><decision-making>
Who first used the term 'heuristic' in a cognitive science context?
user1205901 - Слава Україні
# Who first used the term 'heuristic' in a cognitive science context?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-07-24)

I seem to recall that Herbert Simon borrowed the term from computer science, but I cannot remember the initial paper in which he made use of this borrowing.

A google scholar search reveals some papers from 1957-1958, for instance [this one](http://www.u-picardie.fr/~furst/docs/Newell_Simon_Heuristic_Problem_Solving_1958.pdf), but I really felt there was something from earlier in the 1950s.

**Tags:** reference-request, decision-making


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-07-25. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

A nice summary about heuristics can be found in:

Gigerenzer, G., & Gaissmaier, W. (2011). [Heuristic Decision Making](http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-psych-120709-145346). Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 451–482.

In this review "satisficing" (accepting a good enough option) is referred to an earlier reference than the 1958 you cite:
Simon, H.A. (1955). [A behavioral model of rational choice](http://qje.oxfordjournals.org/content/69/1/99.short). Q. J. Econ. 69:99–118.

In their (Gigerenzer & Gaissmaier) history part they also refer to Einstein using the term in his 1905 paper on quantum physics, stating that the view he presented was "incomplete but highly useful".


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### Answer by username_1 on 2015-05-01. Score: 6

His very first use of heuristic beyond computer science (he won the Turing award in Comp. Science) is from [1946](https://www.jstor.org/stable/973030?&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents).

The Proverbs of Administration
Herbert A. Simon, *Public Administration Review*, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Winter, 1946), pp. 53-67

> If so, the evidence that it is an
> error has never been marshalled or published-apart
> from loose heuristic arguments
> like that quoted above

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: One of my favorite scientists came up with one of my favorite words. Excellent!  

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