- Srilakshmi Mallya
Intern, Feb- March 2023
What does cognitive bias mean?
A cognitive bias is what we resort to when there’s either too much or too little information for our brain to work with. Since attention to every detail can be cognitively taxing, our brains devise false implications and deductions to arrive at some conclusion.
Why and How do Cognitive Biases develop?
On a regular basis, we are bombarded with information. With efficiency on the pedestal, your brain creates shortcuts – however inaccurate they may be – to filter, sort, and process this information while using as little mental energy as possible. This is what is termed Heuristics. Heuristics function on autonomous processing, i.e.Type 1 processing that doesn’t involve memory or active retention of information or our conscious efforts (Evans & Stanovich, 2013). Although heuristics increase accuracy, they could also lead to cognitive biases.
Cognitive biases develop throughout life, stemming from your life experiences, thereby limiting our capacity for objectivity. They hinder our rationality, judgment, perception, decision-making, and reasoning. Based on their research program in the 1970s, Amos Tversky and Daiel Kahneman termed this phenomenon as cognitive bias. Today, we have an assortment of about 200 different cognitive biases (listed in Wikipedia). We shall now look at some of the infamous and more commonly experienced cognitive biases.
Different cognitive biases
Confirmation Bias: This bias refers to the tendency to single out or conceive information to perpetuate or comply with pre-existing beliefs. This could be because of our inclination towards information that confirms our beliefs (Nickerson,1998). Or because we don’t want our self-esteem to be challenged and simply want to be right.
For instance, while looking up symptoms of a disease, we might unconsciously identify with those symptoms while in fact, we may be exhibiting none or only a couple of those symptoms mildly. Or perhaps reading this confirms that you do have confirmation bias?
Anchoring Bias: In this bias, we anchor or base our choices and decisions on the initial information we find while all other sources may be considered secondary or ignored. There isn’t enough study on the cause of this bias. However, researchers propose that the source of the initial information could be a possible contributor to the bias. Or while in a dilemma, you might find yourself reaching for that anchor - your easy way out. For example, You see a video of your favorite celebrity talking about how much they love their new pair of shoes. You want to buy those shoes but they are too expensive .5 months later, while shopping, you see similar shoes available at a local store at a low discount. So you buy it without a second thought although the price is a stretch because it’s still cheaper and your favorite celebrity loves them.
The Halo Effect: Here, there is an initial and often inaccurate impression formed about a person based on any one of their traits. A person’s outward appearance is one such trait that makes it quite convenient to gauge the other traits of that person. Attractiveness has been found to interfere with the accurate perception of academic performance. The traits of intelligence and conscientiousness were overestimated in attractive persons than their academic performance indicated. (Talamas et al., 2016). Once again, our need to be correct might drive us to focus on information that backs the initial impressions. For instance, in a job interview, your appearance and mannerisms could have a crucial role in determining your chances of employment.
Bandwagon Effect: This effect involves going with the crowd, it essentially means taking the path more traveled because that’s where the majority lies. Choosing a lifestyle, holding certain attitudes and opinions, and going with the trend are all consequences of the bandwagon effect. Growing peer pressure and our need to fit in, and be included affect our choices. We may also end up assuming that there’s a reduced margin for error with so many people following the trend. An example would be the recent surge of Korean culture and content across the globe. Although Korean music, cuisine, and dramas were prevalent, their popularity has amplified in the past few years.
There are many more cognitive biases, often part of our everyday life. They are essential and inevitable.
While it is impractical to analyze every decision we make, simply being aware of these biases, especially while making important decisions, can be helpful.
It might also help to consult an expert or professional a trusted friend or a member of the family to get alternate perspectives.
Taking time while making decisions, and reflection on the impact of cognitive biases on previous decisions also helps build awareness about the limitations of our cognitive capacities.
Well written!!✨✨
This is so well written, thank you for this post!
Very insightful✨️