Cognitive Mind Traps and Biases

Introduction

• People often believe they are in complete control of their decisions and thoughts.
• Many decisions and thoughts are influenced by unconscious cognitive mind traps, fallacies, and biases.
• Awareness of these thinking errors is crucial for becoming more rational thinkers.
• Inspired by Daniel Kahneman's book "Thinking Fast and Slow."

Cognitive Dissonance

• Example: Aesop’s fable of the fox and sour grapes.
• When beliefs conflict: creating a new belief to justify the current situation (e.g., job rejections or views on wealth).
• Conflict leads to discomfort and potential mental stress.
• Quote: “You can play the clever fox all you want—but you’ll never get the grapes that way.” – Rolf Dobelli

The Spotlight Effect

• Feeling overly self-conscious, believing everyone notices your mistakes (e.g., arriving late or spilling sauce).
• In reality, people are not as focused on you as you think.
• Reducing spotlight effect anxiety by recognizing its existence.

The Anchoring Effect

• Using known information as anchors when guessing (e.g., population of Russia).
• Anchors influence decisions even when irrelevant (e.g., height of redwood tree).
• Studies show arbitrary anchors affect judgments (e.g., judges' sentencing influenced by dice rolls).
• Awareness of vulnerability to anchoring can help in negotiations and decision-making.

The Halo Effect

• Positive first impressions overshadow later information (e.g., perception of Alan vs. Ben).
• Sequence of information affects judgments.
• Attractive people perceived as having positive traits.
• Can influence relationships, academic evaluation, and workplace decisions.
• Combat by acknowledging first impressions and seeking more information.
• Quote: “First impressions last.”

Gambler’s Fallacy

• Belief in balancing forces in independent events (e.g., coin flips or multiple choice answers).
• No memory in independent events; each event is separate.
• Casinos exploit this fallacy.
• Applies in various decision sequences (e.g., asylum approvals, loan applications).
• Recognize independent and interdependent events.

The Contrast Effect

• Judgment influenced by comparison to surrounding items (e.g., $3000 leather seats in $80,000 car vs. food savings).
• Absolute judgments are difficult; be aware in shopping and decisions.

Confirmation Bias

• Favoring information that supports existing beliefs, ignoring contrary evidence.
• Reinforced by tailored content and echo chambers.
• Combat by seeking diverse sources and thinking critically.
• Quote: “A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition.” – Daniel Kahneman

Baader Meinhof Phenomenon

• Increased awareness of new information leads to noticing it more frequently (e.g., new car or word).
• Augmented by recency effect and confirmation bias.
• Our brains continuously recognize patterns, focusing on what’s relevant.

Zeigarnik Effect

• Better memory for incomplete tasks over completed ones.
• Writing down a plan to complete tasks can reduce stress from incomplete tasks.

The Paradox of Choice

• More options can lead to decision paralysis and less satisfaction (e.g., jam experiment, dating).
• Fewer choices can make weighing options easier and decisions more satisfying.
• Too many choices can lead to regret and paralysis.