Psychology Biases and Logical Reasoning: Key Concepts and Examples

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to trust information that supports current beliefs or interests and disregard information that contradicts beliefs.

Ex) Ignoring all news reports published by NYT because you sometimes disagree with their reports.

Bandwagon Effect

Human tendency to make decisions based on the majority bias or what is "popular"

Ex) Buying a new t-shirt in a popular pattern because it is a new trend.

Wishful Thinking

Irrational optimism; forming conclusion based on the more appealing option, even if it defies logic.

Ex) Believing you will win the lottery even though your chances are very low.

Framing Bias

The same information is presented, but in two different ways. One sounds more appealing than the other

Ex) Half full vs. Half empty

Ex) 4 quarts of ice cream vs. 1 gallon

Clustering Illusion

When things happen in clusters, and we assume or try to come up with a pattern between them.

Ex) Thinking there is a relationship between rain and Saturday, since its rained every Saturday for a month.

Gambler's Fallacy

The belief that the results of a random events will effect future outcomes.

Ex) "Lightning will never strike the same place twice"

Halo Effect

When someone has a positive trait, so we tend to associate that with more positive traits and ignore the negative ones.

Ex) Voting for the more attractive candidate because he "seems better"

Illusory Superiority

Tendency to view yourself as superior to others.

Ex) Believing you are more safe of a driver than others, despite your previous tickets and accidents.

Self-Serving Bias

When a person takes unfair ownership over something that they did not cause, and then not taking the blame for a negative thing.

Ex) A mother taking credit for her daughter's good grades, and blaming her bad ones on the teacher.

Syllogism

Drawing a conclusion from two other true pieces of information about similar things.

Ex) All fish need water to survive.

Sharks are fish.

Therefore, sharks need water to survive.