We are reasonable customers. We are doing so when we choose Product A over Product B because we have thoroughly considered the pros and drawbacks – price, quality, and so on – and determined that Product A is a better value. And if you asked us why we took this decision, we could devise a list of reasonable explanations.
But the truth is that we sometimes buy for reasons unrelated to the goods. Our brains can deceive us into making decisions that appear rational but do not hold up under scrutiny. These mental pitfalls are referred to as “cognitive biases.”
If you let them, cognitive biases can substantially harm your bottom line. Fortunately, by understanding how these biases operate, you can train your brain to avoid them. Look at ten of the most frequent prejudices and how to avoid them.
1 Dunning-Kruger Effect
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled persons experience illusory superiority, incorrectly estimating their competence to be considerably more significant than it is. This bias is related to the incompetent’s inability to recognize their incompetence. On the other hand, highly skilled persons tend to overestimate their relative ability, erroneously assuming that things that are easy for them are likewise easy for others.
In other words, those with only a little skill typically exaggerate it and believe they have a lot of talent. Consider your standard overconfident jerk who is only moderately proficient yet believes they are highly competent.
Those with a high level of knowledge, on the other hand, assume that many others possess the same level of talent. Consider the employee who is excellent at their job but appears frustrated by those around them.
2 Anchoring
Anchoring, also known as formalism, is a cognitive bias that describes the normal human tendency to make decisions based on the first item of information presented (the “anchor”). Anchoring occurs during decision-making when individuals use an early piece of information to create subsequent judgments.After establishing an anchor, subsequent decisions are made by adjusting away from the anchor, and there is a bias towards interpreting additional information about the anchor. . For example, the initial cost offered for a used car establishes the standard for the rest of the talks, so prices lower than the original price appear more acceptable even though they are still more significant than the car’s actual value.
An “anchor price” is the first price for a particular item. That “anchor price” sticks with you and influences how you interpret subsequent pricing for the same (or very similar) thing.
3.Choice-Supportive Bias
In cognitive science, choice-supportive bias tends to attach positive traits to a previously chosen option. It’s a type of cognitive bias. For example, suppose a person purchases an Apple computer rather than a computer (PC) running Windows. In that case, they are more likely to ignore or downplay the flaws of Apple computers while exaggerating those of Windows PCs. Conversely, they are more inclined to notice and emphasize the benefits of Apple computers while overlooking or downplaying those of Windows machines.
This should feel very familiar. Consider how individuals support their favorite sports team or their political views. They far outweigh the positives and vastly underweight the negatives.
4. Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias, also known as my side bias, is the propensity to seek, comprehend, or recall information that confirms one’s ideas or assumptions. It is a form of cognitive bias and an inductive reasoning error. People exhibit this bias when they selectively gather or remember information or perceive it in a biased manner. The impact is more significant for emotionally charged situations and firmly ingrained ideas. People also tend to view ambiguous facts as confirming their current position.
A good example is the tendency of conservatives to get their news and opinions from sources that match their beliefs, such as Fox News and World Net Daily. Suppose you primarily receive information and opinion pieces from sources that reflect your viewpoint.In this case, you will only strengthen your viewpoint, regardless of whether it is the best response to the current circumstance.
5. Bayesian Conservatism
Conservatism, also known as conservatism bias in cognitive psychology and decision science, is a bias in human information processing. Compared to Bayesian belief revision, this bias reflects human belief revision in which people over-weigh the prior distribution (base rate) and under-weigh new sample data.
This is why people are resistant to change. They are typically slow to shift their perception of a regular price if they are used to a previous standard price on something and it changes.
6. Endowment Effect
The effect of endowment (divestiture aversion) in behavioral economics is that people place more value on items just because they own them. This is demonstrated by the finding that people will pay more to keep something they possess rather than gain something owned by someone else — even if there is no reason for attachment or if the item was obtained only minutes before.
You’re passionate about your work. Because it’s yours, you probably value it. You’d rather keep your favorite sweater than someone else’s identical sweater. This is the endowment effect in action.
7. IKEA Effect
The IKEA effect is a cognitive bias that develops when consumers place an abnormally high value on things they helped design.[1] The name is derived from the Swedish furniture manufacturer and retailer IKEA, which sells many products that require assembly.
If you made it or had some part in its creation, it’s usually worth more than it is to others.
These and other cognitive biases occur frequently in day-to-day life. They persuade us to make time and financial commitments that are actually counter to our long-term objectives.
The initial step is to recognise them. The next step is to take easy precautions to prevent them. The last step in getting rid of our worst cognitive biases is to practise those techniques until they become automatic and second nature.
