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Writer's pictureClement Djaja

What is Cognitive Bias?

Updated: Aug 11, 2021



Cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that happens when people are processing and interpreting information in the world around them which affects the decisions and judgments that they make. While it might be easier to spot in other people, we all have cognitive biases.


There are quite a few types of Cognitive Biases such as Actor-observer bias which is the tendency to attribute your own actions to external causes while attributing other people's behaviours to internal causes. Another example is the Self-serving bias which is the tendency to blame external forces when bad things happen but to give yourself credit when good things happen.


An example of Actor-observer bias is a person who attributes his high cholesterol level to genetics while attributing others' high level to poor diet and lack of exercise. An example of Self-serving bias is when a person wins a poker hand and thinking that it is due to his skills and knowledge but when he loses, it is due to bad luck or the other players cheating.


What I want to concentrate on is another type of bias called Confirmation Bias because this is the one that my clients tend to come and see me about.

Confirmation Bias is choosing information that conforms to your existing beliefs and discounting evidence that does not conform.

Let's say your belief is “I’m worthless”. Then let's say you did ten things this week. Out of these, you did three things well, six you did pretty much how everybody else would and one you did badly (for example, you turned up to a meeting 30 minute late). If you have confirmation bias, you would only remember the one where you were late for the meeting because this fact fits in with your belief that you are worthless. This then strengthens your belief hence creating a negative feedback loop. I did another blog discussing this titled "Perceived power and how it affects us", check it out!



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