Cognitive Biases and Heuristics

Flashcards on cognitive biases and heuristics.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts we use to make quick decisions that save time, but aren’t always accurate.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging something based on how well it fits a stereotype.

Availability Heuristic

Making a judgment based on what comes to mind most easily.

Superstition

Believing one thing caused another without real evidence.

Illusory Correlation

Thinking two things are connected when they’re really not.

Illusion of Control

Thinking you have control over something random.

Hindsight Bias

Thinking “I knew it all along” after something happens.

Confirmation Bias

Only looking for evidence that supports what you already believe.

Just World Phenomenon

Believing the world is fair, so people get what they deserve.

Blaming the Victim

Saying someone caused their own suffering.

Overconfidence

Thinking you know more than you do.

Accidental Learning

Learning something without trying to.

Pattern Seeking

Seeing patterns where there are none.

Empiricism

Learning through real evidence and observation.

Gambler’s Fallacy

Believing past random events affect future ones.

Clustering Illusion

Seeing patterns in random data.

Risky Tests

Testing a theory in a way that could actually prove it wrong.

Empty Language

Using vague or fancy words that sound smart but don’t mean anything.

Correlation

Two things happen at the same time, but one doesn’t necessarily cause the other.

Heuristics

Example: Choosing a restaurant based on a friend's recommendation without checking reviews.

Representativeness Heuristic

Example: Assuming someone is good at math because they are Asian.

Availability Heuristic

Example: Fearing plane crashes more than car accidents because plane crashes are more publicized.

Superstition

Example: Thinking wearing a lucky shirt will help your team win.

Illusory Correlation

Example: Believing that crime rates increase when ice cream sales do, without considering the season.

Illusion of Control

Example: Feeling like you can influence the outcome of a dice roll by blowing on the dice.

Hindsight Bias

Example: After a stock market crash, saying you knew it was going to happen.

Confirmation Bias

Example: Reading only news articles that agree with your political views.

Just World Phenomenon

Example: Thinking that successful people are successful because they work hard, ignoring privilege.

Blaming the Victim

Example: Blaming a robbery victim for walking alone at night.

Overconfidence

Example: Rating your driving ability as above average when you've had several accidents.

Accidental Learning

Example: Learning the words to a song just by hearing it on the radio.

Pattern Seeking

Example: Assuming that a series of coin flips is rigged because heads came up 5 times in a row.

Empiricism

Example: Conducting experiments to see if a new drug is effective.

Gambler’s Fallacy

Example: Thinking that after several losses in a row, you are due for a win.

Clustering Illusion

Example: Noticing cloud shapes that resemble familiar objects.

Risky Tests

Example: Trying to disprove the effectiveness of a treatment by rigorously testing its limits and conditions.

Empty Language

Example: Saying 'synergistic paradigm shift' instead of 'working together to change things'.

Correlation

Example: Ice cream sales and crime rates both increase in the summer, but one doesn't cause the other.