Final answer:
Categorizing a tall and athletic person as a basketball player based on their appearance employs the representativeness heuristic, which assesses probability by similarity to stereotypes.
Step-by-step explanation:
If one were to automatically categorize a person as a basketball player solely because of their tall and athletic appearance, this decision-making process would be attributed to the representativeness heuristic. The representativeness heuristic is a cognitive bias where individuals assess the probability of an event by comparing it to an existing prototype or stereotype, particularly when faced with uncertainty.
In this case, the stereotype of a tall and athletic person aligns with the representation of a typical basketball player. The representativeness heuristic can lead to errors in judgment, as it relies on perceived similarity and may neglect other relevant information. Understanding and being aware of such cognitive biases is crucial for making more accurate and rational decisions in various situations.