Understanding Biases
This bias occurs when we assume that people are paying more attention to us than they actually are.
What is the Spotlight Effect?
When you continue doing something you’ve already invested time or money into, even if it’s not helping, you’re showing this bias.
What is the Sunk Cost Fallacy?
This happens when we feel pressure to conform to group decisions, even if they are not the best.
What is Groupthink?
You’re buying a used car, and the first price you hear is $10,000. Later, the seller offers you $8,000. Even though $8,000 is still high, you think it’s a good deal because of the initial $10,000 price. What bias is at play?
What is Anchoring?
This is when we believe we know more than we do, especially in a subject we’ve only recently learned about.
What is the Dunning-Kruger Effect?
This bias happens when we ignore new information that contradicts our existing beliefs.
What is Confirmation Bias?
This effect makes us think that others will take responsibility in an emergency, which often leads to inaction.
What is the Bystander Effect?
This cognitive bias makes us believe that things are getting worse, even when data shows the opposite.
What is Declinism?
You’ve spent weeks researching a new phone. You finally decide to buy one, but once you’ve made the purchase, you keep justifying it to friends even though you notice a better phone on sale. What bias are you displaying?
What is the Sunk Cost Fallacy?
This happens when we assume something is true just because it fits a common pattern or narrative, even if it's not entirely accurate.
What is the Barnum Effect?
This is when we overestimate the importance of something just because it’s easily recalled in our memory.
What is the Availability Heuristic?
This bias makes us favour people who are like us, sometimes unfairly.
What is In-Group Bias?
This happens when we wrongly assume something is true just because it fits our existing faith.
What is Belief Bias?
After reading a news report about a recent airplane crash, you start feeling nervous about flying, even though the crash is an isolated incident. What bias is affecting your judgment?
What is the Availability Heuristic?
When we feel like we understand something better after learning it, but forget how difficult it was to grasp at first, we’re experiencing this bias.
What is the Curse of Knowledge?
This bias makes us believe we can predict an event after it has happened, even though we couldn’t have before.
What is The Curse of Knowledge?
When we judge others based on their character but excuse our own mistakes because of circumstances, we show this error.
What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?
This bias occurs when we view someone more positively because we like something about them, such as their looks or success.
What is the Halo Effect?
A person you don’t like fails to meet a deadline at work, and you immediately think they’re lazy. When a friend misses a deadline, you assume they were just too busy. What bias are you demonstrating?
What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?
This happens when we mistakenly believe that all decisions, whether good or bad, are based on fairness or what someone deserves.
What is the Just-World Hypothesis?
This occurs when we defend our beliefs more strongly when they are challenged, even if we’re wrong.
What is the Backfire Effect?
This occurs when we are more focused on the bad aspects of something, rather than the good ones.
What is the Negativity Bias?
This bias occurs when we judge a person or situation based on the first piece of information we see or hear.
What is Anchoring?
You believe that people who are always smiling and friendly must be good people. However, when you later learn that one of them lied to you, you still find it hard to accept. What bias might be affecting your judgment?
What is the Halo Effect?
This bias causes us to stick to a decision even when new information shows it was a bad choice, because we don’t want to admit we were wrong.
What is the Confirmation Bias?