2 Cognitive Bias Flashcards
What is a cognitive bias?
Cognitive biases are hidden things in our minds that can change how we think and what we believe, even if we don’t realize it.
What is belief bias?
Belief bias is when you already believe something, so you think any argument that supports your belief must be a good argument, even if it’s not!
It’s like loving pizza so much that you think any pizza, even one with pineapple on it (yuck!), must be delicious.
What is the availability heuristic?
The availability heuristic is when we think things are more likely to happen if we think about them a lot.
Imagine you watch a lot of movies about sharks. You might start to think shark attacks happen all the time, even though they are actually very rare!
What is the false consensus effect?
The false consensus effect is when we think our beliefs are more common than they really are.
Imagine all your friends love to play soccer. You might start to think that everyone loves soccer, even though lots of people prefer other sports or activities.
What is the bandwagon effect?
The bandwagon effect is when we want to fit in with a group, so we change our beliefs or behaviors to match theirs.
Imagine everyone at school is wearing a certain type of shoe. You might feel like you need to have those shoes too, even if you don’t really like them.
What is negativity bias?
Negativity bias is when we pay more attention to bad things than good things.
Imagine you’re trying to decide whether to go to a fun party. You might focus more on the things that could go wrong than on all the fun you could have!
What is in-group bias?
In-group bias is when we think people in our group are better than people in other groups.
Imagine your school is playing a basketball game against another school. You might think all the players on your team are amazing and the players on the other team are not as good, just because they are on the other team!
What is the obedience to authority phenomenon?
The obedience to authority phenomenon is when we tend to obey people in charge, even if we don’t know why.
Imagine a teacher tells you to do something. You might do it without even thinking, just because they are the teacher!
What is the overconfidence effect?
The overconfidence effect is when we think we’re better at things than we really are, especially when we don’t know much about them.
Imagine you’re learning to ride a bike for the first time. You might think it’s super easy, even though you haven’t even tried yet!
Does being biased mean someone is wrong?
Being biased doesn’t mean someone is wrong for their opinions.
Imagine a friend loves a certain band that you don’t like. Just because they are biased towards that band doesn’t mean they are wrong for liking them!
What is the genetic fallacy?
The genetic fallacy is thinking an idea is bad just because of where it came from, even if it’s actually a good idea.
Imagine someone has a great idea, but they got the idea while they were daydreaming! It’s like saying a cake is bad just because it was baked in a funny-shaped oven.
Why is it important to have an open mind?
Having an open mind means being willing to listen to different opinions and ideas, even if you don’t agree with them at first.
Imagine you only eat one kind of food. You might miss out on trying other delicious foods!
Why is free speech important?
Free speech means you can share your ideas and opinions, even if they are different.
Imagine you can only wear one color of clothes. That would be boring!
What does it mean to have an open mind?
Having an open mind is being curious and willing to consider different ideas and perspectives, even if they seem strange at first.
Imagine there are two playgrounds. One has only one slide, but the other has swings, a jungle gym, and lots of things to explore!
Why is it important to listen to both sides of an argument?
Listening to both sides of an argument helps you understand the issue better and make a smarter decision.
Imagine you’re trying to solve a puzzle, but you only look at half the pieces!
