We all have biases when we make decisions, so the more we are aware of our biases, the better our decision-making will be.
I’ve used this blog to shine a light on some of the factors that influence our decisions and how you can approach it differently.
If you’re really interested in understanding the biases that guide you, I’d recommend exploring this list from The Decision Lab.
Not only will you be amazed by how many biases there are (and this is just a subset).
But it will also provide you with practical ways to avoid them.
The list covers the main biases that are commonly discussed, such as:
Action Bias: Why do we prefer doing something to doing nothing?
Anchoring Bias: Why we tend to rely heavily upon the first piece of information we receive
Cognitive Dissonance: Why is it so hard to change someone’s beliefs?
Commitment Bias: Why do people support their past ideas, even when presented with evidence that they’re wrong?
Confirmation Bias: Why do we favour our existing beliefs?
But you’ll also find some biases which you haven’t heard of, though find yourself saying – I do that!
Empathy Gap: Why do we mispredict how much our emotions influence our behaviour?
Just-World Hypothesis: Why do we believe that we get what we deserve?
Ostrich Effect: Why do we prefer to ignore negative information?
Overjustification Effect: Why do we lose interest in an activity after we are rewarded for it?
Telescoping Effect: Why do some things “seem like they just happened yesterday?”
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