Decision-making is an essential life skill, yet the overwhelming flow of information often pushes us to take shortcuts in processing it.

It’s human nature to interpret data in ways that align with our beliefs -this can be helpful in speeding up our thinking. However, it also carries a drawback: we may confidently voice opinions on topics we don’t fully understand.

Let’s examine some common cognitive biases that can impact our decisions:

1. Confirmation Bias – The tendency to favor information that supports our beliefs. If multiple people suggest that walking is healthier than jogging, you’re likely to focus on articles confirming this idea while ignoring contrasting opinions

2. Anchoring Bias – Being heavily influenced by the first piece of information encountered and using it as a comparison point. Imagine a car dealer quotes a price of $50,000. When negotiating it down to $40,000, this seems like a steal unless the original quote had been $30,000 instead.

3. Bandwagon Effect – Adopting behaviors or attitudes because others do, regardless of evidence. Voting for the most popular candidate in an election simply to feel part of the majority.

4. Halo Effect – Judging someone’s character based on unrelated positive traits. Assuming a good-looking person is inherently kind or capable without further proof.

5. Availability Bias – Relying on readily available information while ignoring broader statistics. Fear of shark attacks may dominate your thoughts due to media coverage, even though heart disease poses a far greater risk.

6. Ostrich Effect – Avoiding potentially unpleasant information. Like burying your head in the sand, this can manifest as ignoring feedback that could help you better navigate challenges.

7. Recency Effect – Remembering the first and last items in a sequence while struggling to recall the middle. If someone speaks quickly during a meeting, your notes might disproportionately reflect their opening and closing remarks

8. Choice-Supportive Bias – Remembering your decisions as better than they were by focusing on the positives of your chosen option while downplaying alternatives. Favoring your preferred brand over unfamiliar ones.

9. Fundamental Attribution Error – Judging someone’s actions as reflective of their character without considering situational factors. Assuming a driver who cuts you off is selfish overlooks the possibility that they’re dealing with an emergency.

10. Outcome Bias – Evaluating a decision based purely on its results rather than the reasoning behind it. Flipping a coin for all decisions and attributing success to this method.

11. Illusory Correlation Bias – Incorrectly linking an action to a perceived effect. Believing that wearing a specific jersey boosts your team’s chances of winning.

12. Dunning Kruger Effect – Overestimating your competence in an area. Learning the basics of a language may lead you to feel proficient until deeper study reveals how much more there is to learn.

By recognizing these biases, we can refine our thought processes and make better-informed decisions.

^{_{Source: Adapted from ehl.edu / Graphic: Visual Capitalist}}