Category Archives: Logic & Biases

Perceived Power and Authority from Wearing a Police Uniform Affects How We View Ourselves and Others

Do appearances matter? They sure do for most of us, unfortunately all too much. Many of us judge people on superficial qualities when we encounter their appearances: if they are groomed, shaven, have a haircut, have nice clothes, have a nice car, have a nice house, have a nice job, etc. One of the most powerful influences is what people […]

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Hasty Decisions Reduce Accuracy – The Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off

In making decisions, there is a balance between the speed we arrive at a decision and the degree of accuracy with which that decision will give us what we expected. This is called the speed-accuracy trade-off, where hasty decisions tend to be suboptimal than slower deliberate decisions. In general, the quicker we make a decision the more error-prone it is. […]

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What Makes Some Smart People so Skeptical of Science?

Is the world really flat? Some people believe so. And many scientists, psychologists and researchers lump them with others people who question other aspects of science that even other scientists contest (like global warming), as all being part of an ‘anti-enlightenment movement’. Is there a limit to being skeptical before it makes us poor thinkers?? You’re part of that ‘camp’ […]

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Cheerleader Effect – Cognitive Biases (Pt.12)

The cheerleader effect, or group-attractiveness effect, is a tendency to value appearances based on a comparative assessment with the surroundings. Certain traits will appear more attractive due to the perceived amplification from contrast. When looked at individually they no longer get the contrasting cheerleader effect. Surprisingly, this is a new term, from a 2008 “How I Met Your Mother” episode, […]

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Detecting Misinformation Improves Memory Recall and Life

Misinformation (falsity) about an event that is accepted as truth makes it more difficult to recall the original details of the event as they actually happened. The falsity is the accepted visible reality, while the underlying details are covered over. sourceThis is the misinformation effect, where recall of the memories of an event become less accurate because of post-event information, […]

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