{"id":2133,"date":"2022-06-01T21:21:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T19:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neu.kontextlab.com\/?p=2133"},"modified":"2022-07-08T21:26:09","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T19:26:09","slug":"cognitive-biases-getting-your-head-out-of-the-sand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kontextlab.com\/en\/cognitive-biases-getting-your-head-out-of-the-sand\/","title":{"rendered":"Cognitive biases: getting your head out of the sand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We all have cognitive biases. Here at Kontextlab we might have a key to overcoming at least some of them. Got a gist? Let us put our finger on it. Just ponder for a second how the information spreading and new perspectives of mappings might turn things upside down.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a cognitive bias, anyways? It\u2019s \u200b\u200ba systematic error that we make in our mind sometimes. It occurs when we are processing and interpreting information, in turn changing the decisions and judgements we make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A ton of different cognitive biases exist<\/a>. They come to us for instance through not paying attention well enough, or because we rely on memories. Or because we handle our information selectively, and choose to ignore some parts. Or because our emotions come into play. And that is totally normal, there are just too many bits of information incoming so we humans have to filter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of these filters are really old – they developed when we had to flee from tigers and collect food ourselves, living in small groups wandering the world. However nowadays those once helpful filter techniques hinder us in making sound decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we can work to become aware of our own and other people\u2019s biases so we can fight against it, they sometimes can \u2018creep in\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Systems of thinking<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

How do they creep in, then? Part of that is systems thinking. Systems thinking is a way of making sense of the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships rather than by splitting it down into its parts. Perhaps this quote<\/a> of the Harvard Business Review explains it best:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt can be dangerous to rely too heavily on what experts call System 1 thinking\u2014automatic judgments that stem from associations stored in memory\u2014instead of logically working through the information that\u2019s available. No doubt, System 1 is critical to survival. It\u2019s what makes you swerve to avoid a car accident. But as the psychologist Daniel Kahneman has shown, it\u2019s also a common source of bias that can result in poor decision making, because our intuitions frequently lead us astray. <\/p>

Other sources of bias involve flawed System 2 thinking\u2014essentially, deliberate reasoning gone awry. Cognitive limitations or laziness, for example, might cause people to focus intently on the wrong things or fail to seek out relevant information.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

See? While system 1 is our quick-thinking-system, System 2 thinking is slower and requires more effort. It is conscious and logical. Going through system 1, which is what we do very, very often, might help cognitive biases to have a field day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brain (re)routing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In similar fashion, there\u2019s the Elaboration Likelihood Model. This dual process theory describes the change of attitudes and was developed by professors Richard E. Petty<\/a> and John Cacioppo<\/a> in 1980.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The model aims to explain different ways of processing stimuli. They affect the decisions we make. The model includes a \u2018central route\u2019 and a \u2018peripheral route\u2019. Under the first one, we carefully assess the information and arguments that we have available to us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, in the other route we\u2019re using cues around us to positively or negatively affect our decisions. How attractive is the person telling us the information? Do they look credible and kind? Using this route is full of cognitive biases and might be triggered for instance by disinterest, tiredness or stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overcoming the bias<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the issue right there: we might not always have the energy and attention to overcome our cognitive biases. However, there\u2019s several things we c\u00f3uld do to fight the struggle. Here\u2019s 8 (!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n