What are your cognitive biases? Do you know?
If you’ve followed me for a while, or attended one of my classes, one of the concepts I talk about that affects your ability to spot deception and even understand other people is your emotional biases.
Essentially, what you like or dislike can affect your ability to clearly see the truth. Scientists have studied emotional “bias” and know these biases have powerful effects on us.
As an example, if you dislike people who you think are politically opposite then you, then you may incorrectly judge a person, because you are biased before you even consider what they have to say. You may take something they do as a kind gesture and think they were being underhanded. In the same way you may not trust them when they are completely honest. This is what biases can do to us.
As humans, we have many biases that can affect our lives. I ran into an article that mapped them all out in a graphic, and it was quite stunning to see.
Are you familiar with the:
- Fading-effect bias
- Less-is-better effect
- Ambiguity bias
- Decoy effect
- Suffix effect
Me, neither! It appears there are dozens and dozens and dozens of cognitive biases that affect us as humans. Who knew there were so many?
Here is a real cool info-graphic that has mapped them all out for you: Check it out.
What are your biases? Do you know?
The more you know and understand, the better you will be at making good solid decisions!