{"id":59715,"date":"2022-01-31T13:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T17:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=59715"},"modified":"2022-02-14T13:01:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T17:01:33","slug":"association-fallacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/association-fallacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Association Fallacy: Connecting the Unconnectable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is association bias<\/a>? Why does association bias occur?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Association fallacy (or association bias) is the brain’s tendency to make connections where none exist. This phenomenon is a defense mechanism: making associations allows you to evaluate risk when making decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about association fallacy, why it occurs, and how to overcome it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Association <\/strong>Fallacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Association fallacy is where you causally connect two unrelated things. According to Rolf Dobelli, the author of The Art of Thinking Clearly<\/em>, the association fallacy misrepresents cause and effect by forming false knowledge<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Superstitions form this way, Dobelli explains. For example, say you bring rainboots when camping, and the weather is perfect. The next time you go camping, you leave the rainboots behind and the weather is awful. The next time you bring them, the weather is wonderful again. After a few of these experiences, your brain connects the boots and good weather, even though it\u2019s just a coincidence that the weather improved when you brought the boots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Association bias is also involved in traumatic experiences,<\/strong> Dobelli adds. Say you step in a hole and break your leg while playing soccer. Your brain makes a connection between soccer and pain, and you may refuse to play soccer again. Because these connections have stronger inciting incidents\u2014breaking a leg is more memorable than bringing boots\u2014they can be very strong even after a single incident, while more innocuous connections must be reinforced over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It Happens and How to Overcome Unhealthy Connections<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why does association bias occur? Dobelli doesn\u2019t say, but others argue that association bias is a defense mechanism: Making connections helps you form \u201cprotective frames.\u201d These are practices or support systems that let you evaluate risk<\/a> (for example, the risk of it raining when you go camping). Most of the time, these frames are helpful or harmless, like our rainboot example. However, connections made through traumatic experiences are maladaptive and grow stronger over time. For example, your fear of soccer may expand to fear of walking on any grass as you think it\u2019ll put you at risk of more pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though these connections grow stronger over time, you can change them. One method of changing the connections your brain makes is through exposure therapy<\/a>, where you gradually expose yourself to the object of your negative connection. This replaces the connection between the object and your negative experience with a positive or neutral experience. For example, you might watch a soccer game or walk around on a soccer field. Your brain takes those positive experiences and forms a new connection to soccer which overrides the negative experience and the feeling of risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is association bias? Why does association bias occur? Association fallacy (or association bias) is the brain’s tendency to make connections where none exist. This phenomenon is a defense mechanism: making associations allows you to evaluate risk when making decisions. Keep reading to learn about association fallacy, why it occurs, and how to overcome it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":59947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,160],"tags":[576],"class_list":["post-59715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-science","tag-the-art-of-thinking-clearly","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nAssociation Fallacy: Connecting the Unconnectable - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Association fallacy is the brain's tendency to make connections where none exist. 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