Friends
Everyone in the group laughs at a joke, so you laugh too even if you didn’t find it funny.
Bas: Conformity bias
Assumption: If everyone laughs, the joke must be funny
A parent says the older sibling is more responsible than the younger one.
Bias: Halo effect
Assumption: Older siblings are more responsible than younger ones
A teacher favors students who speak up more often in class.
Bias: Halo effect
Assumption: Students who talk more are better students overall
A survey reports that “most people” prefer one brand, so it must be the best.
Bias: Anchoring bias
Assumption: If most people like a brand, it must be the best choice
A friend forgets your birthday once, so you expect they’ll forget again.
Bias: Confirmation bias
Assumption: If they forgot once, they’ll always forget birthdays
A relative hears the first explanation of a disagreement and accepts it as the full story.
Bias: Anchoring bias
Assumption: The first explanation heard must be the truth
A group project team ignores new ideas because the majority already agreed on a plan.
Bias: Conformity bias
Assumption: The group’s first plan is the best, so other ideas don’t need to be heard
A headline about a protest uses the word “riot” instead of “march.”
Bias: Media bias
Assumption: The protest is violent rather than peaceful
Most of your friends like a certain band, so you start to like it too.
Bias: Conformity bias
Assumption: If your friends like the band, you should like it too
One family member is funny, so everyone assumes they’re also kind.
Bias: Halo effect
Assumption: If someone is funny, they’re also kind
A teacher notices a student often fidgets and concludes they’re not paying attention
Bias: Confirmation bias
Assumption: Figeting means someone does not pay attention
A person reads one article online saying vaccines are unsafe and ignores dozens of scientific studies showing they are safe.
Bias: Confirmation bias
Assumption: One negative article outweighs scientific evidence
You see one friend get a good grade and start believing they’re the smartest in the group.
Bias: Halo effect
Assumption: Because one friend got a good grade, they must be the smartest overall
At a family dinner, most people support one opinion, and you go along to avoid standing out.
Bias: Conformity bias
Assumption: If most family members agree, their opinion must be right
A student is quiet in class, so people think they don’t understand the material.
Bias: Confirmation bias
Assumption: Being quiet is seen as a sign of not understanding
A group of friends says, “Therapy is only for people who are really sick,” so one friend decides not to share that they’re seeing a counsellor
Bias: Conformity bias
Assumption: Therapy is only for “serious” problems, not for everyday well-being
A group decides on the “right answer” to a question, so you change yours even though you thought differently.
Bias: Conformity bias
Assumption: The group’s answer must be correct
A parent always expects the same child to cause trouble, regardless of the situation.
Bias: Confirmation bias
Assumption: That one child is always the troublemaker, regardless of context
A manager thinks the first salary offer is “fair,” so later offers are compared to it.
Bias: Anchoring bias
Assumption: The first salary offer sets the standard for fairness
Two news outlets cover the same political debate: one highlights the mistakes of one candidate, while the other highlights only their strengths.
Bias: Media bias / confirmation bias
Assumption: The candidate must be either incompetent or flawless, depending on the outlet’s framing