Science

What is the planning fallacy? Why do we tend to exaggerate our capabilities when making plans for the future? The planning fallacy is where you underestimate how much time a future task or project will take to complete. According to Rolf Dobelli, the author of The Art of Thinking Clearly, there are two reasons it occurs: self-esteem and life’s unpredictability, Keep reading to learn about the planning fallacy, why it happens, and how to mitigate it.

What is the conjunction fallacy? Why do we tend to discount probability when choosing whether to believe something or not? The conjunction fallacy is the human tendency to prefer a plausible story to a probable one. In other words, when a story makes sense to you, you’re likely to believe it even if the true probability of it occurring is low. Keep reading to learn about the conjunction fallacy.

What is story bias? Why do people remember stories better than facts? Story bias is the tendency to interpret information as part of a story even though the facts don’t actually support the narrative. Stories are easier to remember than other types of information, which is why we rely on them instead of facts. Keep reading to learn about story bias, why it happens, and how to overcome it.

What is cognitive dissonance? How do people resolve the uncomfortable feeling that arises as a result of dissonance between cognitions and actions? In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that occurs as a result of holding two conflicting cognitions (e.g. beliefs, values, or attitudes) or acting in ways that contradict those cognitions. To ease this discomfort, people tend to deny the facts or rationalize their thinking to restore cognitive consonance. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of cognitive dissonance.

What is the affect heuristic? How does the affect heuristic influence decision-making? The affect heuristic is a mental shortcut in which your brain makes rapid subconscious judgments of like or dislike. These “affects” influence your risk-benefit analyses: If your immediate judgment is good, you’ll focus on the benefits of a situation, if the affect is bad, you’ll focus on the risks. Keep reading to learn about the affect heuristic and its implications for decision-making.

What is the salience effect? Why does the brain tend to focus on the most flashy, salient stimuli to the exclusion of everything else? As the name suggests, the salience effect is the tendency to focus on the most salient stimuli in the environment. The salience effect relies on your past experiences. You might notice certain unusual details due to, for instance, your career or past experiences, while someone else would notice different details. Keep reading to learn about the salience effect, why it occurs, and how to overcome it.

What is déformation professionnelle? How can having too much experience in your area of expertise limit your perception of the world? Déformation professionnelle is a cognitive bias resulting from having too much experience in a certain field. It is defined as a tendency to see the world through the lens of one’s profession or area of expertise. Keep reading to learn about déformation professionnelle bias, why it’s problematic, and how to overcome it.

What is hindsight bias? Why does the predictability of the outcome seem higher in hindsight? Hindsight bias is where you—upon knowing the outcome of an event—overestimate your ability to have predicted it. According to Rolf Dobelli, the author of The Art of Thinking Clearly, hindsight bias is a by-product of the brain’s pattern-finding tendencies. Here’s why things seem clearer in hindsight.