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COGNITIVE BIASES

Pessimism Bias

🌧️

Anxiety, fear, despair

The tendency to overestimate the likelihood of negative events and underestimate the likelihood of positive events.

Negative, apprehensive

"It's probably going to fail."

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Evolutionary adaptation, negativity bias

Overemphasizing potential problems, avoiding risks

Challenge negative thoughts, focus on possibilities

Anxiety, depression, missed opportunities

Availability Bias

🧠 

Fear, anxiety, worry

Tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events that are easily recalled

Fearful, anxious

"I can easily remember a plane crash, so air travel must be dangerous."

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Salience of information, ease of retrieval

Relying on personal experience, ignoring statistical information

Seek out a broader range of information, consider the base rate

Increased risk perception, avoidance of activities

Framing Bias

🖼️

Confusion, indecision, regret

Tendency to make different decisions depending on how information is presented

Confused, uncertain

"This option is presented as the default, so it must be the best."

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Desire for coherence, need for simplicity

Focusing on one aspect of a decision, ignoring other factors

Consider all aspects of a decision, be aware of the framing bias

Difficulty making decisions, sensitivity to persuasion

Illusion of Control Bias

🕹️

Overconfidence, hubris, recklessness

Tendency to overestimate our ability to control events

Confident, optimistic

"I can control the outcome of this situation."

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Desire for predictability, need for certainty

Ignoring factors outside of our control, overestimating our own abilities

Be humble, recognize the limits of our control, focus on what we can control

Difficulty accepting uncertainty, risk-taking behavior

Optimism Bias

☀️

Optimism, excitement, joy

Tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive events and underestimate the likelihood of negative events

Hopeful, confident

"I'm sure everything will work out for the best."

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Desire for a better future, need for hope

Ignoring negative information, focusing on positive information

Be realistic, consider all available information, be aware of the optimism bias

Difficulty accepting setbacks, unrealistic expectations

Social Identity Bias

👥

Pride, superiority, contempt

Tendency to favor people who are similar to us and discriminate against people who are different from us

Proud, superior

"My group is the best, and all other groups are inferior."

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Need for belonging, desire to maintain a positive self-image

Categorizing people into "us" and "them," stereotyping, prejudice

Be open-minded, challenge stereotypes, get to know people who are different from you

Prejudice, discrimination, intergroup conflict

Ambiguity Bias

🤔

Anxiety, fear, insecurity

The tendency to avoid options that have unknown outcomes or seem ambiguous.

Anxious, apprehensive

"I'd rather stick with what I know."

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Need for predictability, discomfort with uncertainty

Choosing options with known outcomes, even if they are less favorable

Gather more information, assess the potential risks and rewards

Risk aversion, missed opportunities

Authority Bias

👑

Respect, admiration, fear

The tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure.

Deferential, obedient

"They must know what they're talking about."

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Social hierarchy, need for guidance

Following orders without question, accepting opinions without scrutiny

Think critically, question authority

Blind obedience, abuse of power

Belief Bias

🙏

Agreement, acceptance, credulity

The tendency to judge the strength of arguments based on the plausibility of their conclusion rather than the strength of the evidence.

Persuaded, convinced

"That sounds about right."

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Cognitive ease, confirmation bias

Accepting arguments that align with our beliefs, rejecting those that don't

Evaluate the evidence objectively, consider alternative explanations

Gullibility, dogmatism

Conservatism Bias

👴

Inertia, skepticism, fear of change

The tendency to resist change and favor the status quo.

Cautious, resistant

"Things are fine the way they are."

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Need for stability, familiarity bias

Maintaining the current situation, rejecting new ideas

Be open to change, evaluate new ideas objectively

Stagnation, missed opportunities

Endowment Effect

💎

Ownership, entitlement, loss aversion

The tendency to overvalue things that we own, simply because we own them.

Attached, possessive

"It's mine, so it's worth more."

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Sense of identity, emotional attachment

Overpricing possessions, reluctance to sell

Consider the objective value, detach yourself emotionally

Hoarding, overspending

Fundamental Attribution Error

🫵

Blame, disapproval, self-righteousness

The tendency to overemphasize dispositional or personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while under-emphasizing situational explanations.

Judgmental, critical

"They're just a bad person."

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Cognitive ease, actor-observer bias

Attributing others' behavior to their personality, ignoring situational factors

Consider the context, be empathetic

Misunderstanding, prejudice

IKEA Effect

🔨

Satisfaction, ownership, accomplishment

The tendency to place a disproportionately high value on objects that one has partially assembled oneself, such as furniture from IKEA.

Accomplished, proud

"I made it myself, so it's special."

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Effort justification, cognitive dissonance

Overvaluing self-made objects, undervaluing professionally made objects

Consider the objective value, be mindful of your biases

Overspending, hoarding

Just-World Hypothesis

⚖️

Belief in karma, victim-blaming, rationalization

The tendency to believe that the world is fair and that people get what they deserve.

Justified, vindicated

"They got what they deserved."

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Need for control, cognitive dissonance

Blaming victims, justifying injustice

Recognize that the world is not always fair, be empathetic

Injustice, victim-blaming

Mere Exposure Effect

❤️‍🔥

Familiarity, liking, preference

The tendency to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Comfortable, familiar

"I like it because it's familiar."

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Cognitive ease, processing fluency

Preferring familiar things, avoiding unfamiliar things

Be open to new experiences, challenge your preferences

Stagnation, missed opportunities

Placebo Effect

💊

Expectation, belief, positive thinking

A beneficial effect produced by a placebo drug or treatment, which cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient's belief in that treatment.

Hopeful, optimistic

"This treatment will work."

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Mind-body connection, self-fulfilling prophecy

Experiencing improvement due to belief in the treatment

Be aware of the placebo effect, consider other factors

Self-healing, false hope

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Stereotyping

🏷️

Prejudice, discrimination

Expecting a member of a group to have certain characteristics without having actual information about that individual.

Judgmental

"They're all like that."

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Cognitive shortcut, need for categorization

Making assumptions about people based on their group membership

Get to know people as individuals, challenge stereotypes

Prejudice, discrimination, conflict

The Curse of Knowledge

🗣️

Impatience, condescension

When better-informed people find it extremely difficult to think about problems from the perspective of lesser-informed people.

Frustrated, superior

"They should know this."

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Expertise, assumption of shared knowledge

Overestimating others' knowledge, using jargon

Explain things simply, be patient

Miscommunication, conflict

Unit Bias

🔢

Need for completion, aversion to waste

The tendency to want to finish a whole unit of a given item or task, regardless of the size of the unit.

Driven, compelled

"I have to finish the whole thing."

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Evolutionary adaptation, desire for closure

Overeating, overspending

Focus on actual needs, not arbitrary units

Overconsumption, waste

Actor-Observer Bias

🎭

Rationalization, blame-shifting

The tendency to attribute one's own actions to external causes while attributing other people's behaviors to internal causes.

Defensive, self-justifying

"I had no choice, but they did."

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Self-protection, maintaining positive self-image

Making excuses for oneself, blaming others

Be self-aware, consider both internal and external factors

Misunderstanding, conflict

Ben Franklin Effect

🤝

Kindness, reciprocity, self-justification

A person who has performed a favor for someone is more likely to do another favor for that person than they would be if they had received a favor from that person.

Helpful, benevolent

"I did them a favor, so I must like them."

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Cognitive dissonance, need for consistency

Doing favors to justify positive feelings towards someone

Be mindful of motivations for helping, avoid manipulation

Unhealthy relationships, manipulation

Decoy Effect

🦆

Indecision, susceptibility to suggestion

The tendency to change preferences between two options when presented with a third option that is asymmetrically dominated.

Influenced, swayed

"This one seems like a better deal now."

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Cognitive ease, need for justification

Choosing the option that seems better in comparison to the decoy

Consider options independently, be aware of the decoy

Manipulation, suboptimal choices

False Uniqueness Effect

🦄

Pride, egotism, self-enhancement

The tendency to underestimate the commonality of one's abilities and desirable or successful behaviors.

Special, superior

"I'm special and different."

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Need for uniqueness, self-esteem

Overestimating one's own uniqueness, underestimating others

Be realistic, recognize common abilities

Narcissism, alienation

Information Bias

📚

Need for knowledge, uncertainty aversion

The tendency to seek information even when it cannot affect action.

Curious, inquisitive

"I need more information."

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Desire for control, illusion of knowledge

Gathering unnecessary information, delaying decisions

Focus on relevant information, make decisions with available information

Analysis paralysis, delayed decisions

Outcome Bias

🎯

Regret, self-blame, justification

The tendency to judge a decision based on its outcome instead of the quality of the decision at the time it was made.

Results-oriented, hindsight-biased

"It turned out bad, so it was a bad decision."

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Need for closure, desire for control

Blaming bad decisions for bad outcomes, justifying good outcomes

Evaluate decisions based on information available at the time

Unfair judgment, risk aversion

Anchoring Bias

Overconfidence, rigidity

Tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we receive

Overconfident, biased

"This is the first option I heard, so it must be the best."

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Desire for closure, need for cognitive ease

Seeking out confirming evidence, ignoring disconfirming evidence

Consider all available information, be aware of the anchoring bias

Difficulty considering other options, resistance to new information

Confirmation Bias

Overconfidence, smugness, satisfaction

Tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs

Closed-minded, biased

"I'm right, and everyone else is wrong."

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Desire for consistency, need for validation

Ignoring disconfirming evidence, seeking out confirming evidence

Be open-minded, consider all available information, test our beliefs

Difficulty considering other perspectives, resistance to change

Hindsight Bias

👓

Regret, shame, embarrassment

Tendency to believe that we could have predicted an event after it has already happened

Regretful, ashamed

"I should have known that this would happen."

Read More

Desire for control, need for closure

Reconstructing the past, ignoring information that was not available at the time

Consider the information that was available at the time, be aware of the hindsight bias

Difficulty accepting responsibility, blame-shifting

Negativity Bias

⛈️

Sadness, fear, anger

Tendency to focus on negative information over positive information

Pessimistic, hopeless

"Everything bad always happens to me."

Read More

Survival instinct, need for protection

Filtering out positive information, focusing on negative information

Seek out positive information, practice gratitude, challenge negative thoughts

Difficulty seeing the good in life, depression

Self-Serving Bias

🪞

Pride, satisfaction, self-esteem

Tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors

Proud, confident

"I succeeded because I'm smart and talented."

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Need for self-enhancement, desire to maintain a positive self-image

Taking credit for success, blaming others for failure

Be humble, recognize the role of external factors, give credit to others

Difficulty accepting responsibility, blame-shifting

Surprise, disappointment, satisfaction

The tendency to perceive stimuli differently based on their comparison to other stimuli.

Comparative, judgmental

"This looks better next to that."

Read More

Relative perception, adaptation

Judging things based on their context, not their absolute value

Consider things in isolation, be aware of comparisons

Unfair comparisons, biased judgments

Attentional Bias

🔎

Excitement, curiosity, tunnel vision

The tendency to pay more attention to certain stimuli while ignoring others.

Focused, distracted

"I only see what I want to see."

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Limited cognitive resources, selective attention

Filtering out irrelevant information, focusing on what is important

Broaden your focus, be aware of your biases

Inattentional blindness, misinterpretation

Bandwagon Effect

🚌

Conformity, belonging, social pressure

The tendency to do or believe things because many other people do or believe the same.

Accepted, included

"Everyone else is doing it, so I should too."

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Need for social acceptance, fear of rejection

Following the crowd, adopting popular opinions

Think independently, question the status quo

Herd mentality, groupthink

Choice-Supportive Bias

👍

Contentment, self-justification, rationalization

The tendency to remember one's choices as better than they actually were.

Satisfied, justified

"I made the right decision."

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Need for consistency, cognitive dissonance

Remembering positive aspects of our choices, forgetting negative aspects

Be honest with yourself, evaluate your choices objectively

Overconfidence, self-deception

Dunning-Kruger Effect

🙈

Hubris, arrogance, ignorance

The tendency for unskilled individuals to overestimate their own ability and for experts to underestimate their own ability.

Overconfident, incompetent

"I'm better than I think I am."

Read More

Lack of self-awareness, metacognitive deficit

Overestimating one's own skills, underestimating the skills of others

Seek feedback, be open to learning

Poor performance, unrealistic expectations

False Consensus Effect

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Agreement, empathy, shared identity

The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and opinions.

Understood, validated

"Everyone agrees with me."

Read More

Need for belonging, projection bias

Assuming others think like us, ignoring dissenting opinions

Seek diverse perspectives, challenge your assumptions

Misunderstanding, conflict

Halo Effect

Admiration, trust, positive association

The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.

Impressed, biased

"They're good at one thing, so they must be good at everything."

Read More

Cognitive ease, first impressions

Generalizing positive traits, overlooking negative traits

Evaluate each trait independently, be aware of your biases

Favoritism, unfair judgment

In-Group Bias

❤️

Favoritism, solidarity, prejudice

The tendency to favor one's own group over other groups.

Loyal, biased

"My group is better than yours."

Read More

Need for belonging, social identity

Favoring in-group members, discriminating against out-group members

Be open-minded, challenge stereotypes

Prejudice, discrimination

Loss Aversion

💸

Fear, anxiety, regret

The tendency to prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains.

Cautious, risk-averse

"I'd rather not lose anything."

Read More

Survival instinct, negativity bias

Avoiding risks, holding onto losses

Weigh potential gains and losses objectively, be mindful of your biases

Inaction, missed opportunities

Overconfidence Bias

💪

Certainty, arrogance, hubris

The tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgments.

Confident, assured

"I'm always right."

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Need for control, self-enhancement

Overestimating one's abilities, underestimating risks

Seek feedback, be open to learning

Risk-taking, poor decision-making

Sunk Cost Fallacy

🕳️

Justification, persistence, aversion to waste

The tendency to continue a behavior or endeavor as a result of previously invested resources (time, money, or effort).

Committed, invested

"I've already invested so much."

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Loss aversion, cognitive dissonance

Continuing a project that is failing, throwing good money after bad

Focus on future costs and benefits, be willing to cut your losses

Wasteful spending, missed opportunities

Status Quo Bias

🛑

Contentment, fear of the unknown

The tendency to prefer the current state of affairs over change, even when the change may be beneficial.

Comfortable, safe

"Things are fine the way they are."

Read More

Desire for stability, predictability

Resisting change, maintaining the current situation

Weigh the pros and cons of change, be open to new experiences

Stagnation, missed opportunities

Survivorship Bias

🏅

Excitement, admiration

The tendency to focus on the successful examples while overlooking the failures, leading to an inaccurate assessment of the overall situation.

Overconfident, optimistic

"They made it, so I can too."

Read More

Availability heuristic, focus on visible outcomes

Ignoring failures, overestimating success rates

Consider all outcomes, including failures

Unrealistic expectations, risky behavior

Time-Saving Bias

🏃

Frustration, urgency

The tendency to misjudge the time that could be saved (or lost) by changing speeds.

Impatient, rushed

"It'll save me so much time."

Read More

Overestimation of small time differences

Speeding, taking risks

Accurately assess time savings, prioritize safety

Reckless behavior, accidents

Zero-Risk Bias

🛡️

Relief, comfort

Preference for reducing a small risk to zero over a greater reduction in a larger risk.

Secure, reassured

"I need to eliminate all risk."

Read More

Need for certainty, illusion of control

Focusing on eliminating small risks, neglecting larger ones

Prioritize risks based on severity and likelihood

Inefficient risk management, missed opportunities

Base Rate Neglect

📊

Certainty, neglect of relevant information

The tendency to ignore the base rate (prior probabilities) when making judgments about probabilities.

Overconfident, biased

"This person fits the stereotype, so they must be..."

Read More

Reliance on stereotypes, representativeness heuristic

Ignoring statistical information, focusing on specific cases

Consider base rates, use Bayesian reasoning

Stereotyping, inaccurate judgments

Contrast Effect

☯️

Surprise, disappointment, satisfaction

The tendency to perceive stimuli differently based on their comparison to other stimuli.

Comparative, judgmental

"This looks better next to that."

Read More

Relative perception, adaptation

Judging things based on their context, not their absolute value

Consider things in isolation, be aware of comparisons

Unfair comparisons, biased judgments

Default Effect

😴

Inertia, conformity, lack of motivation

The tendency to choose the default option, even if it is not the best option.

Passive, compliant

"It's the default, so it must be okay."

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Cognitive ease, status quo bias

Accepting the default without considering alternatives

Actively choose, evaluate options

Suboptimal choices, missed opportunities

Hyperbolic Discounting

Instant gratification, lack of self-control

The tendency to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards.

Impulsive, short-sighted

"I want it now."

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Present bias, need for immediate satisfaction

Choosing immediate gratification, neglecting long-term goals

Delay gratification, consider future consequences

Impulsivity, poor financial planning

Omission Bias

🤫

Blame, condemnation, self-righteousness

The tendency to judge harmful actions as worse, or less moral than equally harmful inactions (omissions).

Judgmental, moralistic

"They did something wrong, but I didn't do anything."

Read More

Action aversion, belief in personal control

Blaming others for actions, excusing inaction

Consider consequences of both actions and inactions

Inaction, moral hypocrisy

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Disclaimer:
The information and resources provided by this service are intended for general informational purposes only and do not constitute professional advice. We are not licensed or certified mental health professionals, and our responses should not be considered a substitute for consulting a qualified healthcare provider. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. By using this service, you agree to release and discharge us from any legal responsibility or liability for the outcome of your reliance on the information provided. If you are experiencing mental health issues or crises, we strongly recommend seeking the guidance of a licensed mental health professional.

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