Final answer:
Our brains fill in information gaps as part of a survival mechanism, using cognitive ease and substitution heuristics to create perceptual hypotheses that lead to perceptual sets, which can sometimes cause illusory correlations and misconceptions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Our minds have evolved to fill in the gaps of missing information to allow us to survive and thrive in complex environments. This cognitive ability relies on a phenomenon called the substitution heuristic, where our brain replaces a difficult question with an easier one to provide a sense of cognitive ease. When we perceive sense information, we are actually constructing a perceptual hypothesis, which is influenced by past experiences, expectations, and emotions, leading to a perceptual set that might not always match reality.
For instance, illusory correlations occur when we establish connections between phenomena that statistically are not related, often due to a reliance on easily recalled information or a desire to confirm our preconceptions. This tendency can lead to misconceptions and, in some cases, negative societal effects such as prejudice and discrimination. Understanding these cognitive processes can help us guard against faulty thinking and strive for more critical and accurate perceptions of the world.