Cognitive Biases and Heuristics
Heuristics
- Mental shortcuts used for quick decisions. They save time but aren’t always accurate.
Representativeness Heuristic
- What it means: Judging something based on how well it fits a stereotype.
- Example: Assuming a quiet, book-loving person is a librarian, when they could be a mechanic.
Availability Heuristic
- What it means: Making a judgment based on what comes to mind most easily.
- Example: Thinking plane crashes happen frequently because news stories make them readily available in your mind, even though they’re rare.
Superstition
- What it means: Believing one thing caused another without real evidence.
- Example: Wearing lucky socks during a test and attributing a good grade to the socks, even though they had no actual effect.
Illusory Correlation
- What it means: Thinking two things are connected when they’re not.
- Example: Believing full moons cause more crime because crime stories are noticed during a full moon.
Illusion of Control
- What it means: Thinking you have control over something random.
- Example: Blowing on dice before rolling and believing it increases the chances of winning.
Hindsight Bias
- What it means: Thinking “I knew it all along” after something happens.
- Example: After a team loses, claiming you knew they were going to lose, even though you were originally supportive.
Confirmation Bias
- What it means: Only looking for evidence that supports pre-existing beliefs.
- Example: If you believe a certain diet works, seeking out success stories online while ignoring scientific evidence to the contrary.
Just World Phenomenon
- What it means: Believing the world is fair, so people get what they deserve.
- Example: Assuming someone who is homeless must have done something wrong, instead of considering bad luck or unfair systems.
Blaming the Victim
- What it means: Saying someone caused their own suffering
- Example: Suggesting that someone got robbed because they were "asking for it" by walking alone, instead of blaming the robber.
Overconfidence
- What it means: Thinking you know more than you actually do.
- Example: Being sure you’ll ace a test without studying, and then receiving a poor grade.
Accidental Learning
- What it means: Learning something without actively trying to.
- Example: Picking up song lyrics simply by hearing the song in the background multiple times.
Pattern Seeking
- What it means: Seeing patterns where there are none.
- Example: Thinking your phone always rings when you’re in the shower, even though it’s random.
Empiricism
- What it means: Learning through real evidence and observation.
- Example: Testing if a plant grows better with more sunlight, instead of just guessing.
Gambler’s Fallacy
- What it means: Believing past random events affect future ones.
- Example: Thinking a slot machine is "due" for a win because it hasn’t paid out in a while.
Clustering Illusion
- What it means: Seeing patterns in random data.
- Example: Looking at stars and seeing shapes (like the Big Dipper), even though the stars are randomly placed.
Risky Tests
- What it means: Testing a theory in a way that could actually prove it wrong.
- Example: Instead of just looking for proof a diet works, testing it on multiple people and looking for any result—even if it fails.
Empty Language
- What it means: Using vague or fancy words that sound smart but don’t mean anything.
- Example: “Our product harmonizes your energy fields for optimal wellness.”
Correlation
- What it means: Two things happen at the same time, but one doesn’t necessarily cause the other.
- Example: Ice cream sales and sunburns both go up in summer—but ice cream doesn’t cause sunburn.
