The Greatest Tricksters

Brains are expected to be logical.

Reasonable.

Predictable.

Yet our brains always play tricks on us in ways we don’t expect them to. Many of us are familiar with this feeling when we experience optical illusions—where an image tricks our eyes and confuses our brain in the process. However, this trickery isn’t always so obvious; our brains affect our behavior in ways that we may not notice through a uniquely passive mechanism: cognitive bias. This article seeks to introduce what cognitive biases are, examples of common mechanisms that affect us without our knowledge, and how we can learn to live with these biases.

What are Cognitive Biases?

In scientific terms, cognitive biases are systematic errors or deviations that people make when they think about and process information. Author Buster Benson recognizes four reasons why the brain uses cognitive biases:

• there is too much information the brain has to process

• the brain needs to make sense of information being provided

• there is a need to act quickly

• the information provided must be memorized for later use

When we absorb and analyze information from the world around us, our brains make “shortcuts,” constructing a simplified reality that forms our “biases,” or our personal views on the world. Our brains essentially jump to conclusions without going through logical steps. This is why when we hear that a student did badly on the first two math tests of the year, we may immediately assume that they’re simply not strong in math (when in reality, the answer key was wrong). Our brains take shortcuts all the time, and our decisions are impacted by these indirect influences.

Common Examples of Brain Trickery

Confirmation Bias

We have the tendency to search for, analyze, and recall information that supports a belief that we already have. Our brains want to accept information that confirms that we’re correct, causing us to push away evidence that contradicts our opinions. We see this when younger students decide that teachers are “mean” for giving homework: even when students are told about all the good that homework can do for them (making test preparation much more manageable, serving as extra practice, ensuring that the students don’t forget crucial information), they will still see homework as proof of a teacher’s meanness.

Bandwagon Effect

If others are doing it, then we’ll want to do it, too. Our brains’ fear of missing our (FOMO) and desire to be part of a group causes us to join the bandwagon when other people are doing something. If most of the people at school buy a certain pair of shoes or piece of jewelry, we’ll likely buy those accessories as well. If the people in our community are always talking about eating at a certain restaurant, we’ll order dinner from that restaurant as well. It’s our way of saying that we fit in with the group because we have or like the same things.

Anchoring Bias

Ever heard of first impressions being the most important? That’s because we remember the first thing we see and anchor all of our further beliefs and observations on that initial impression. If a dress was originally priced at $50 but was then marked down to $20, we might think that the lower $20 price tag was a great deal (regardless of the actual worth of the dress, which may have been $20 in the first place). Our brains start with an initial value and sees any differences as changes in that initial value, which is why we see a person who seems grumpy at first site but becomes cheerful on other days as someone who changed their outlook on life (when they’re naturally a cheerful person, but we initially saw them on a bad day).

Hindsight Bias

Hindsight is 20/20, but we tend to think too deeply into it. When we look upon past events, we tend to perceive them as more predictable as they were. After a bad exam, we may immediately think that we expected a certain type of question that showed up. When looking back on a baseball game, fans may say that they always knew a certain team would lose, even when they had no idea at the start. Like with confirmation bias, our brains are always searching for a way to make ourselves “right,” even if it means making up a past mental state.

How Do We Live With Them?

Cognitive biases aren’t inherently bad; on the contrary, they are features that our bodies evolved to allow us to function efficiently without letting us fall into “analysis paralysis” (a state where we stop to analyze everything at all times). The brain utilizes 20 of the body’s energy, meaning that these small mental shortcuts allow the brain to save power for more complex tasks.

But of course, these shortcuts may come at inconvenient times, leading us to make hasty decisions. Here are three strategies to live with cognitive biases.

• Be Aware: Acknowledging the fact that we all have inherent biases is the first step to mitigating their effects. Try to identify any biases you may have, such as if you have any beliefs about a fellow student, coworker, or superior.

• Slow Down: Hasty decisions occur when we allow our brains to go into autopilot. Whenever you are faced with a decision, take a moment to think and analyze. Logically assessing information ensures that you make informed decisions.

• Embrace Disconfirmation: Avoiding confirmation bias, hindsight bias, or other similar cognitive biases requires accepting that you’re not always right. Always seek to understand other perspectives and embrace opposing beliefs.

About the Author:

Leanza is a high school student, a lifelong Mensan, and our Teen Rep Event Coordinator. When she's not writing books or solving riddles, she's exploring languages, cultures, and the world of law. Click here to learn more about Leanza!