Psychological Concepts and Heuristics

A collection of flashcards based on psychological concepts and biases, detailing definitions and descriptions.

Just World

The belief that people get what they deserve.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Blaming someone's actions on their character instead of the situation.

Representativeness Heuristic

Making guesses based on how much something resembles another thing.

Availability Heuristic

Judging likelihood based on how easily examples come to mind.

Hindsight Effect

Believing we knew something would happen after it has already occurred.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Belief Perseverance Effect

Continuing to hold a belief even in the face of contrary evidence.

Framing

The way information is presented influences our thoughts about it.

Weasel words

Vague or misleading terms that make statements sound convincing without clear meaning.

Circular Reasoning

Using the conclusion as part of the argument to prove the conclusion.

Begging the Question

Assuming the truth of what one is trying to prove.

Straw Man Arguments

Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person making an argument instead of addressing the argument itself.

False Dichotomies

Presenting only two choices when more options exist.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Reasoning

Assuming that because one thing follows another, the first must have caused the second.

Appeal to Ignorance

Arguing that something is true simply because it hasn't been proven false.

Appeal to History

Arguing that something is good or true because it has always been done that way.

Appeal to Authority

Arguing that something must be true because an authority figure says it is.

Psychology of Coincidences

Noticing connections between events that may be random.

Ingroup-Outgroup Bias

Favoring people from our group while treating others unfairly.

Planning Fallacy

Underestimating the time, effort, or resources needed for a task.

Spilled Milk Effect

Getting upset over minor problems that cannot be fixed.

Tautology

A statement that is always true, regardless of conditions.

False Analogy

Comparing two things that are not alike in key ways, leading to incorrect conclusions.

Anti-intellectualism

Rejection or suspicion of ideas, knowledge, or experts in favor of common sense.

Social Identity Theory

The concept that people define themselves based on group memberships.