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.