Cognitive bias

Cognitive distortion ( English cognitive bias or cognitive illusions ) is a cognitive psychological collective term for systematic erroneous tendencies in perceiving , remembering , thinking and judging . They mostly remain unconscious and are based on cognitive heuristics (compare prejudice ).

Definition and characteristics

Overview of cognitive biases

To determine systematic erroneous cognitive biases, it is first necessary to develop rational comparison standards based on testable rules. Depending on the object of investigation, these are formulated using normative models such as mathematical probability theory or logic. A comparison standard can also be a factual event that is compared with the memory of the same thing (memory illusions). Systematic, i.e. not just individual and random, deviations from these standards are then considered irrational or false.

Human subjects usually know neither the models nor the rules and make their statements and decisions on the basis of natural, often intuitive decision heuristics with incomplete information or with the use of substitute information. These heuristics are efficient and helpful in many use cases and are independent of wishful thinking . However, under certain conditions, the heuristics can lead to distortions of judgments and memory.

Because of the focus on the possible harmful effects of heuristics, cognitive psychological research is occasionally accused of being one-sided. The question of whether a decision is “right” in a normative sense (in the sense of conforming to the rules with a normative model) is less important than the question of whether a decision is helpful and useful in a certain situation. Further criticisms of the concept of cognitive bias are the lack of an overarching and detailed model and an "artificiality" in the definition of some biases. Measurable effects would disappear with a slight change in the test conditions.

List of cognitive biases

literature

Dan Ariely : Thought helps, but is of no use: Why we keep making unreasonable decisions. Droemer HC, 2008, ISBN 3-426-27429-9 .
Hanno Beck: The logic of error: how the brain cheats us every day. Frankfurter Allgemeine Buch, 2008, ISBN 3-89981-157-7 .
Rolf Dobelli : The art of clear thinking: 52 mistakes that you should leave to others. Hanser, 2011, ISBN 3-446-42682-5 .
Dietrich Dörner : The logic of failure: Strategic thinking in complex situations. Rowohlt, 1989, ISBN 3-499-19314-0 .
Daniel Kahneman: Thinking fast, thinking slowly. Settlers, 2012, ISBN 3-88680-886-6 .
Daniel Kahneman , Paul Slovic , Amos Tversky : Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1974 (English; PDF on caltech.edu ).
Ken Manktelow: Reasoning and Thinking. Psychology Press, Hove 2000, ISBN 0-86377-709-0 (English).
Rüdiger F. Pohl (Ed.): Cognitive Illusions: Intriguing Phenomena in Thinking, Judgment and Memory. 2nd Edition. Routledge, London 2017, ISBN 978-1-138-90341-8 (English).

Essays

J. St. BT Evans: Interpretation and matching bias in a reasoning task. In: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. Volume 24, 1972, pp. 193-199 (English).
J. St. BT Evans, JL Barston, P. Pollard: On the conflict between logic and belief in syllogistic reasoning. In: Memory and Cognition. Volume 11, 1983, pp. 295-306 (English).
KC Klauer, J. Musch, B. Naumer: On belief bias in syllogistic reasoning. In: Psychological Review. Volume 107, 2000, pp. 852-884 (English).

Web links

LessWrong (English)
Changing Minds: Belief Bias (English)

Individual evidence

↑ Rüdiger F. Pohl: Cognitive Illusions: A Handbook on fallacies and biases in thinking, judgment and memory. Psychology Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Hove, New York, 2004, pp. 2-14.
^ G. Gigerenzer: How to make cognitive illusions disappear: Beyond Heuristics and Biases. In: W. Stroebe, M. Hewstone (Eds.): European review of social psychology. Volume 2, No. 1, 1991, pp. 83-105 (English; doi: 10.1080 / 14792779143000033 ).

[1] Rüdiger F. Pohl: Cognitive Illusions: A Handbook on fallacies and biases in thinking, judgment and memory. Psychology Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Hove, New York, 2004, pp. 2-14.

[2] G. Gigerenzer: How to make cognitive illusions disappear: Beyond Heuristics and Biases. In: W. Stroebe, M. Hewstone (Eds.): European review of social psychology. Volume 2, No. 1, 1991, pp. 83-105 (English; doi: 10.1080 / 14792779143000033 ).