Cognitive Shortcuts That Mislead

Summary

This book consists of two titles, which are:

- The Confirmation Bias: Confirmation bias is a cognitive phenomenon that plays a significant role in shaping our beliefs and perceptions. It refers to the tendency of individuals to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs or theories, while disregarding or minimizing evidence that contradicts those beliefs. This bias is not limited to any particular field or context and can influence people in a variety of ways, from politics and religion to personal relationships and health decisions.

- The Representativeness Heuristic: At its core, the representativeness heuristic simplifies decision-making by allowing individuals to rely on surface-level similarities rather than delving into deeper, more complex analyses. For example, if someone observes a well-dressed, articulate individual discussing financial markets, they might assume the person is a financial expert, even without any concrete evidence. This judgment stems from the resemblance of the observed traits to the prototype of a financial expert. However, such assumptions often overlook critical information, such as actual expertise or experience.