Previous studies have shown that people use memory-based simple heuristics in many cases. For example, people use the familiarity heuristic in binary choice inferences, and their inferences based on the familiarity heuristic tend to be highly accurate. That is, by relying on the familiarity heuristic, people can make rational inferences. In the present study, I analyzed how memory constraints, such as forgetting and sensitivity to differences in familiarity, affected the rational use of the familiarity heuristic. In particular, I constructed a familiarity heuristic model based on ACT-R and examined ho memory constraints affected the rational use of the familiarity heuristic sing computer simulations. I found that forgetting boosted the accuracy of the familiarity heuristic, suggesting that the rationality of the familiarity heuristic is enhanced by the "negative" side of memory processes. It was also found that sensitivity to differences in familiarity was not critically related to the rational use of the familiarity heuristic, suggesting that people can take advantage of the rational aspect of the familiarity heuristic regardless of their sensitivity to differences in familiarity.
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