AP Seminar Biases

Anchoring

The first thing you judge influences your judgment of all that follows.

the sunk cost fallacy

You irrationally cling to things that have already cost you something.

the availability heuristic

Your judgments are influenced by what springs most easily to mind.

the curse of knowledge

Once you understand something you presume it to be obvious to everyone.

confirmation bias

You favor things that confirm your existing beliefs.

the dunning-kruger effect

The more you know, the less confident you're likely to be.

belief bias

If a conclusion supports your existing beliefs, you'll rationalize anything that supports it.

self-serving bias

You believe your failures are due to external factors, yet you're responsible for your successes.

the backfire effect

When some aspect of your core beliefs is challenged, it can cause you to believe even more strongly.

the barnum effect

You see personal specifics in vague statements by filling in the gaps.

groupthink

You let the social dynamics of a group situation override the best outcomes.

negativity bias

You allow negative things to disproportionately influence your thinking.

declinism

You remember the past as better than it was, and expect the future to be worse than it will likely be.

the framing effect

You allow yourself to be excessively influenced by context and delivery

fundamental attribution error

You judge others on their character, but yourself on the situation

the halo effect

How much you like someone, or how attractive they are, influences your other judgments of them.

optimism bias

You overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes.

pessimism bias

You overestimate the likelihood of negative outcomes.

just-world hypothesis

Your preference for justice makes you presume it exists.

in-group bias

You unfairly favor those who belong to your group.

the placebo effect

If you believe you're taking medicine it can sometimes 'work' even if it's fake.

the bystander effect

You presume someone else is going to do something in an emergency situation.

reactance

You'd rather do the opposite of what someone is trying to make you do.

the spotlight effect

You overestimate how much people notice how you look and act.