mindset.
The one about trying to think clearly and without prejudice
Cognitive Bias
Summary:
Cognitive biases are errors in thinking that tend to affect decision making.
Real world application:
Confirmation bias.
Concept detail:
Research suggests that our brains are exposed to more than 10 million seperate pieces of information at any one time, however our brains can consciously deal with less than 40. In order to survive, and not be overwhelmed in our environment, our brains naturally filter out information, and we make decisions based on things happening in our brains that don’t reach the level of conscious thought. Through the use of ‘heuristics’ (simple, efficient rules) we form judgements and make decisions quickly. Heuristics enable us to focus on one element of a problem and ignore other information. These ‘mental shortcuts’ may work well at times, but they can also lead to bad decision making.
