▁is ▁necessary ▁to ▁make ▁any ▁given ▁decision . ▁ ▁Key ▁mechan isms ▁The ▁reason ▁this ▁theory ▁comes ▁about ▁in ▁today ' s ▁age ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁vast ▁increase ▁in ▁amount ▁of ▁information ▁that ▁each ▁of ▁us ▁is ▁exposed ▁to ▁through ▁the ▁internet , ▁smart ▁ph ones , ▁and ▁TV . ▁Therefore , ▁these ▁patterns ▁of ▁information ▁processing ▁make ▁perfect ▁sense ▁for ▁citizens ▁who ▁have ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁thousands ▁of ▁pieces ▁of ▁new ▁information ▁every ▁day , ▁and ▁we ▁all ▁use ▁them . ▁We ▁spend ▁less ▁cogn itive ▁effort ▁in ▁bu ying ▁to oth paste ▁than ▁we ▁do ▁when ▁pick ing ▁a ▁new ▁car . ▁And ▁that ▁difference ▁in ▁information - se ek ing ▁is ▁largely ▁a ▁function ▁of ▁the ▁costs . ▁ ▁Short cut s ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁shortcut s ▁individuals ▁use ▁to ▁process ▁information ▁quickly ▁and ▁more ▁efficiently . ▁This ▁does ▁not ▁mean , ▁however , ▁that ▁these ▁methods ▁always ▁lead ▁to ▁accurate ▁and ▁reliable ▁conclus ions . ▁Common ▁shortcut s ▁include , ▁s tere ot ypes , ▁opinions ▁of ▁others , ▁inter person al ▁influ ences , ▁news ▁frames , ▁he ur istics ▁and ▁political ▁ide ology . ▁ ▁Samuel ▁Pop kin : ▁The ▁Re ason ing ▁V oter ▁American ▁poll ster ▁and ▁political ▁scient ist ▁Samuel ▁Pop kin ▁co ined ▁the ▁term ▁" low - information " ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁when ▁he ▁used ▁the ▁phrase ▁" low - information ▁signal ing " ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁Re ason ing ▁V oter : ▁Communic ation ▁and