Philosophy

Cognitive Bias

Remnant Network

Remnant Network

— 3 min read

Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking that occur when the human brain processes and interprets information in its surroundings

These biases are often the result of heuristics—mental shortcuts that allow the brain to make decisions quickly and efficiently, though not always rationally. 

Key Characteristics

  • Systematic Deviations: They represent predictable patterns where human judgment deviates from logic or statistical probability.
  • Unconscious Operation: Most cognitive biases operate automatically and below the level of conscious awareness.
  • Adaptive Nature: While they can lead to errors, many biases evolved to help humans survive by enabling rapid decision-making in dangerous or overwhelming situations.
  • Universality: Research suggests they occur systematically across all individuals; no one is entirely immune.

1. Decision-Making and Estimation Biases

  • Anchoring Bias:  The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered (the "anchor") when making decisions, even if that information is arbitrary or irrelevant.
  • Loss Aversion:  A strong preference to avoid losses over acquiring equivalent gains; the emotional pain of losing is often perceived as twice as powerful as the joy of winning.
  • Sunk Cost Fallacy:  Continuing to invest time, money, or resources into a failing project or decision simply because significant resources have already been committed.
  • Optimism Bias:  The belief that future events will go better than is realistically likely, often leading to the underestimation of costs and risks.
  • Planning Fallacy:  A tendency to underestimate the time required to complete a task, even when previous similar tasks have taken longer.
  • Framing Effect:  Drawing different conclusions from the same information based on how that information is presented (e.g., preferring a "90% survival rate" over a "10% mortality rate").
  • Status Quo Bias:  A preference for things to stay as they currently are, resisting change even when better options are clearly available.

2. Information Processing and Pattern Recognition

  • Confirmation Bias:  The tendency to search for, interpret, and favour information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring evidence that contradicts them.
  • Availability Heuristic:  Overestimating the importance or likelihood of events based on how easily they can be recalled from memory (often influenced by recent or emotionally charged events).
  • Overconfidence Bias:  An inflated opinion of one's own abilities or knowledge, where subjective confidence exceeds objective accuracy.
  • Base Rate Neglect:  Ignoring general statistical information ("base rates") in favour of specific, anecdotal information related to a particular case.
  • Halo Effect:  Allowing a single positive trait of a person to influence the overall judgement of their character or abilities.
  • Gambler’s Fallacy:  The incorrect belief that future random events are influenced by past events (e.g., believing a coin is "due" to land on tails after several heads).

3. Memory and Recall Biases

  • Hindsight Bias:  The inclination to see past events as having been predictable before they occurred (the "I-knew-it-all-along" effect).
  • Recency Effect:  Overweighting the most recent information or events while discounting the full history of data.
  • Rosy Retrospection:  The tendency to remember the past more fondly or positively than it actually was.
  • Mood-Congruent Memory Bias:  The tendency to recall memories that match one's current mood.

4. Social and Attribution Biases

  • Groupthink:  A phenomenon where the desire for harmony or conformity within a group results in irrational decision-making and the suppression of dissenting viewpoints.
  • Bandwagon Effect:  Adopting certain behaviours, beliefs, or tools primarily because "everyone else is doing it".
  • Authority Bias:  Attributing greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure, regardless of the actual evidence or content of their opinion.
  • Fundamental Attribution Error:  Overemphasising personal characteristics and underestimating situational factors when explaining the behaviour of others.
  • Affinity Bias:  A preference for people who are similar to ourselves in terms of background, interests, or appearance.
  • Self Serving Bias:  Attributing successes to one's own skills while blaming failures on external factors beyond one's control.

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