Common cognitive biases

CONFIRMATION BIAS

The confirmation bias is the tendency to listen more often to information that confirms our existing beliefs. Through this bias, people tend to favor information that reinforces the things they already think or believe.

THE PROBLEM WITH HINDSIGHT BIAS

The effect of this bias is that it causes us to overestimate our ability to predict events. This can sometimes lead people to take unwise risks.

THE PROBLEM WITH MISINFORMATION EFFECT

The effects of misinformation can range from the trivial to much more serious. It might cause you to misremember something you thought happened at work, or it might lead to someone incorrectly identifying the wrong suspect in a criminal case.

FALSE CONSENSUS EFFECT

The false consensus effect is the tendency people have to overestimate how much other people agree with their own beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and values.

THE HALO EFFECT

The halo effect is the tendency for an initial impression of a person to influence what we think of them overall. Also known as the "physical attractiveness stereotype" or the "what is beautiful is 'good' principle" we are either influenced by or use the halo to influence others almost every day.

HINDSIGHT BIAS

The hindsight bias is a common cognitive bias that involves the tendency to see events, even random ones, as more predictable than they are. It's also commonly referred to as the "I knew it all along" phenomenon.

THE PROBLEM WITH ANCHORING BIAS

It can influence how much you are willing to pay for your home. However, it can sometimes lead to poor choices and make it more difficult for people to consider other factors that might also be important.

THE PROBLEM WITH CONFIRMATION BIAS

It can lead to poor choices, an inability to listen to opposing views, or even contribute to othering people who hold different opinions.

MISINFORMATION EFFECT

The misinformation effect is the tendency for memories to be heavily influenced by things that happened after the actual event itself. A person who witnesses a car accident or crime might believe that their recollection is crystal clear, but researchers have found that memory is surprisingly susceptible to even very subtle influences.

misinformation effect examples

•Research has shown that simply asking questions about an event can change someone's memories of what happened. •Watching television coverage may change how people remember the event. •Hearing other people talk about a memory from their perspective may change your memory of what transpired.

confirmation bias examples

•Only paying attention to information that confirms your beliefs about issues such as gun control and global warming •Only following people on social media who share your viewpoints •Choosing news sources that present stories that support your views •Refusing to listen to the opposing side •Not considering all of the facts in a logical and rational manner

10 TYPES OF COGNITIVE BIASES

1.Confirmation Bias 2.Hindsight Bias 3.Anchoring Bias 4.The Misinformation Effect 5.The Actor-Observer Bias 6.The False Consensus Effect 7.The Halo Effect 8.The Self-Serving Bias 9.The Availability Heuristic 10.The Optimism Bias

THE PROBLEM WITH AVAILABILITY HEURISTIC

Smokers who have never known someone to die of a smoking-related illness, for example, might underestimate the health risks of smoking. In contrast, if you have two sisters and five neighbors who have had breast cancer, you might believe it is even more common than statistics suggest.

anchoring bias examples

Some examples of how this works: •The first number voiced during a price negotiation typically becomes the anchoring point from which all further negotiations are based. •Hearing a random number can influence estimates on completely unrelated topics. •Doctors can become susceptible to the anchoring bias when diagnosing patients. The physician's first impressions of the patient often create an anchoring point that can sometimes incorrectly influence all subsequent diagnostic assessments.

ACTOR-OBSERVER BIAS

The actor-observer bias is the tendency to attribute our actions to external influences and other people's actions to internal ones. The way we perceive others and how we attribute their actions hinges on a variety of variables, but it can be heavily influenced by whether we are the actor or the observer in a situation.

ANCHORING BIAS

The anchoring bias is the tendency to be overly influenced by the first piece of information that we hear.

AVAILABILITY HEURISTIC

The availability heuristic is the tendency to estimate the probability of something happening based on how many examples readily come to mind.

OPTIMISM BIAS

The optimism bias is a tendency to overestimate the likelihood that good things will happen to us while underestimating the probability that negative events will impact our lives. Essentially, we tend to be too optimistic for our own good.

THE PROBLEM WITH ACTOR-OBSERVER BIAS

The problem with this is that it often leads to misunderstandings. Each side of a situation is essentially blaming the other side rather than thinking about all of the variables that might be playing a role.

SELF-SERVING BIAS

The self-serving bias is a tendency for people tend to give themselves credit for successes but lay the blame for failures on outside causes. When you do well on a project, you probably assume that it's because you worked hard. But when things turn out badly, you are more likely to blame it on circumstances or bad luck.

THE BAD & GOOD NEWS OF OPTIMISM BIAS

This bias can lead people to take health risks like smoking, eating poorly, or not wearing a seat belt. The bad news is that research has found that this optimism bias is incredibly difficult to reduce. There is good news, however. This tendency toward optimism helps create a sense of anticipation for the future, giving people the hope and motivation they need to pursue their goals.

THE PROBLEM WITH SELF-SERVING BIAS

This bias does serve an important role in protecting self-esteem. However, it can often also lead to faulty attributions such as blaming others for our own shortcomings.

THE PROBLEM WITH FALSE CONSENSUS EFFECT

This can lead people not only to incorrectly think that everyone else agrees with them—it can sometimes lead them to overvalue their own opinions. It also means that we sometimes don't consider how other people might feel when making choices.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE HALO EFFECT

This cognitive bias can have a powerful impact in the real world. For example, job applicants perceived as attractive and likable are also more likely to be viewed as competent, smart, and qualified for the job.

acter observer bias examples

When it comes to our own actions, we are often far too likely to attribute things to external influences: •You might complain that you botched an important meeting because you had jet lag. •You might say you failed an exam because the teacher posed too many trick questions. When it comes to explaining other people's actions, however, we are far more likely to attribute their behaviors to internal causes: •A colleague screwed up an important presentation because he's lazy and incompetent (not because he also had jet lag). •A fellow student bombed a test because they lack diligence and intelligence (and not because they took the same test as you with all those trick questions).

availability heuristic examples

•After seeing several news reports of car thefts in your neighborhood, you might start to believe that such crimes are more common than they are. •You might believe that plane crashes are more common than they really are because you can easily think of several examples.

self serving bias examples

•Attributing good grades to being smart or studying hard •Believing your athletic performance is due to practice and hard work •Thinking you got the job because of your merits

optimism bias examples

•Divorce •Job loss •Illness •Death

hindsight bias examples

•Insisting that you knew who was going to win a football game once the event is over •Believing that you knew all along that one political candidate was going to win an election •Saying that you knew you weren't going to win after losing a coin flip with a friend •Looking back on an exam and thinking that you knew the answers to the questions you missed •Believing you could have predicted which stocks would become profitable

BIASES: WE ALL HAVE THEM

•No matter how informed we are we all have biases that influence the way we act, think, feel, and see one another and the world around us. •Sometimes our biases are obvious to us and others (explicit bias) or they are not obvious (implicit or unconscious bias).

Halo Effect examples

•Thinking people who are good-looking are also smarter, kinder, and funnier than less attractive people •Believing that products marketed by attractive people are also more valuable •Thinking that a political candidate who is confident must also be intelligent and competent

false consensus effect examples

•Thinking that other people share your opinion on controversial topics •Overestimating the number of people who are similar to you •Believing that the majority of people share your preferences