{"id":54359,"date":"2021-11-14T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T20:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=54359"},"modified":"2021-11-16T17:02:47","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T21:02:47","slug":"the-availability-bias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-availability-bias\/","title":{"rendered":"The Availability Bias: Prioritizing New Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the availability bias<\/a>? How do you curb the availability heuristic<\/a> bias?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The availability bias is the tendency to over-inflate the value of information that is recently available and ignore other important data that would have helped in making a better decision. You can curb this tendency by always using a methodical decision-making<\/a> process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more about the availability bias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What It Is<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your brain works with what\u2019s available to you and doesn\u2019t think as hard about what\u2019s missing. This applies broadly to facts, memories, and concepts (you don\u2019t think about what evidence you\u2019re missing), and emotions (you don\u2019t think hard about whether it\u2019s wise to feel a different emotion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It Evolved<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The availability bias evolved because we have a limited capacity to remember, recall, and think, so we jump to what\u2019s easily available. (Shortform note: Possibly, availability bias helps to increase weight on the most recent places you found food, and not the place that worked a year ago.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How It Can Be Harmful<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By using only what\u2019s recently available, the availability bias causes you to ignore other important data that would have helped you make a better decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The availability bias amplifies other biases, mainly in misjudging the small amount of information that is available to you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n