Hi, today I would like to share about the interesting topic, namely "Why cognitive bias can occur in this life", the main reason why I choose that topic because not everyone realizes about cognitive bias, many people can't understand what causes cognitive bias and where it comes, in simple terms, a Cognitive Bias is a systematic error in thinking that affects the decisions and judgments we make. Imagine your brain as a super-advanced computer that has to process millions of pieces of information every second. To avoid "overheating" or becoming too slow, the brain often uses mental shortcuts (called heuristics). These shortcuts usually help us make quick decisions, but sometimes they cause our logic to deviate or become non-objective. That's what we call cognitive bias.
Here's a deeper explanation of how it works and the most common types.
Why Do Cognitive Biases Occur?
These biases don't mean someone is "stupid," but rather it's due to the natural way the human brain works. There are several main causes:
- Brain Efficiency: The brain tries to save energy by making quick assumptions based on past experiences.
- Emotions & Motivation: Our desires or fears often influence how we see facts.
- Social Pressure: The desire to be accepted by a group can change how we assess situations.
- Memory Limitations: Our brains often alter or fill in gaps in memory with details that don't actually exist.
The bottom line: Cognitive bias is a "filter" or colored lens that we unconsciously wear when looking at the world, so we don't see reality as it is, but rather as our brains interpret it.
Most Common Types of Cognitive Biases
There are hundreds of types of biases, but here are some of the most common we experience in everyday life:
1. Confirmation Bias
The tendency to seek out, interpret, and remember information that supports our own beliefs, while ignoring contradictory evidence.
- Example: You believe Geminis are annoying. When you meet one annoying Gemini, you say, "See, I'm right!" but you ignore ten other kind-hearted Gemini friends.
2. Sunk Cost Fallacy
The tendency to continue doing something just because we have already invested time, money, or energy in it, even though it is clearly detrimental.
- Example: Continuing to watch a very boring movie in the cinema just because "it's a waste to have bought an expensive ticket," even though you could go out and do something more enjoyable.
3. Dunning-Kruger Effect
The phenomenon where people with low abilities tend to overestimate their abilities, while experts often doubt their own abilities.
- Example: Someone who has just read one article about health then feels smarter than a doctor who has been in school for years.
4. Anchoring Bias
The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we receive (the anchor) when making decisions.
- Example: When bargaining for an item, if the seller mentions an initial price of Rp500,000 (the anchor), then an offer of Rp300,000 will feel "cheap," even though the original value of the item might only be Rp100,000.
5. Halo Effect
The tendency to judge a person's character as a whole based on only one prominent positive trait.
- Example: We often assume that people who are physically attractive automatically also have good, intelligent, or honest qualities.
6. Self-Serving Bias
The tendency to attribute success to one's own abilities, but to blame external factors when experiencing failure.
- Example: "I passed the exam because I'm smart," vs "I didn't pass the exam because the lecturer was biased."
Why is Understanding This Important?
Recognizing the existence of cognitive biases is crucial for:
- Making Better Decisions: Avoiding financial losses or fatal errors in work.
- Improving the quality of interpersonal relationships: Understanding that our point of view is not always 100% correct makes us more empathetic to new information that may be more accurate than our point of view.
- Critical Thinking: Training ourselves to always check the facts before concluding something."