Dear Reader:
Your mind is a fantastic machine, but it's not without its flaws.
Our neural "Bugs" and "Glitches" can distort our thinking.
These biases can negatively affect our own growth.
Welcome to the Cognitive Biases: Beginner's Handbook
Take a moment to learn about these biases,
Start taking steps to clearer, more rational thinking today!
Have you encountered these before?
Anchoring Bias
Definition: Relying too heavily on the first piece of information you learn, even when new data proves it wrong.
Example: While shopping for a car, the first dealership you visit offers a price of $25,000. Even after visiting other dealerships that offer better prices, you can't shake the feeling that $25,000 is the "right" price, and you end up considering other offers as overpriced or underpriced compared to this initial anchor.
Confirmation Bias
Definition: Focusing only on evidence that supports what you already believe while ignoring facts that contradict it.
Example: If you believe that a specific diet is the best way to lose weight, you might only read articles and research that support this belief. You ignore studies that suggest other diets might be more effective or highlight the potential downsides of your preferred diet.
Availability Bias
Definition: Overestimating the likelihood of events that are easier for you to remember or imagine.
Example: After watching news reports about airplane crashes, you might develop an irrational fear of flying, believing that plane crashes are more common than they actually are. This is despite statistics showing that air travel is much safer than driving, but since car accidents are less sensationalized, they don't come to mind as easily.
Left unchecked, these flaws in thinking lead to misjudgments that can sabotage your success in work, relationships, and life.
You may be making poor decisions without even knowing it.
Imagine being able to:
Make clearer, more objective decisions aligned with your true goals.
Form accurate, well-reasoned beliefs based on facts rather than mental filters.
Communicate more effectively by understanding others' perspectives.
You'll never eliminate all your biases - they're simply part of how the human mind operates.
However, you CAN greatly reduce their influence and strive to be a more rational, successful thinker.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Understanding Cognitive Biases
III. Cognitive Biases & Strategies
IV. Conclusion
V. Resources + AI Prompts
Understanding Cognitive Biases
Our brains rely on mental shortcuts and heuristics to process information quickly, but these shortcuts can lead to irrational and faulty conclusions.
Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking that influence our judgment and decision-making.
Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts that can lead to flawed reasoning and suboptimal decision-making.
In modern contexts, these biases can result in poor judgments and missed opportunities.
For example, during a high-stakes negotiation, an individual might focus solely on initial offers, leading to less favorable outcomes.
Understanding the evolutionary origins of cognitive biases helps in identifying and mitigating their effects. Awareness and education are the first steps in overcoming these biases.
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Common Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases often arise because our brains rely on mental shortcuts known as heuristics to think quickly and efficiently. While these shortcuts allow us to navigate the complexities of daily life without getting overwhelmed, they can also cause us to draw inaccurate conclusions.
Anchoring bias causes people to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive. This can significantly impact decisions in areas like negotiations, where initial offers heavily influence final agreements, and purchasing decisions, where initial price tags skew perceptions of value.
To combat anchoring bias, it's crucial to gather multiple pieces of information and deliberately question initial figures. Training oneself to consider alternative values and seeking diverse perspectives can help in making more balanced decisions.
I've noticed several cognitive biases crop up frequently in my own thinking. One is the anchoring bias, where I tend to rely too heavily on the first piece of information I learn about a topic.
For example, if I hear an initial price for a product, I have trouble adjusting my perception of its value when presented with new prices later on. My judgment gets "anchored" to that original number.
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Another bias I often grapple with is confirmation bias. This is the tendency to focus on information that supports my pre-existing beliefs while discounting evidence that contradicts them.
Confirmation bias leads individuals to seek out and interpret information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs. This bias perpetuates false beliefs, increases polarization, and creates resistance to change. It can severely distort decision-making processes in both personal and professional settings.
So if I've formed an opinion that a certain politician is untrustworthy, I'm more likely to take note of instances that confirm this view and gloss over examples of their honesty.
In effect, my mind selectively filters information to reinforce what I already think.
To overcome confirmation bias, individuals should actively seek out disconfirming evidence and engage in discussions with people holding different viewpoints. This approach helps in developing a more balanced and objective perspective.
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The availability heuristic is yet another mental pitfall I've fallen victim to at times. This bias leads me to overestimate the likelihood of events that are easier for me to recall or visualize. If I have a vivid memory of a friend's home being burglarized, for instance, I may perceive break-ins to be more common than crime statistics actually show.
Availability bias is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events that are more easily remembered. This can distort risk perception and decision-making under uncertainty, leading to flawed judgments in areas like health, investing, and public policy. To mitigate availability bias, it's important to rely on statistical data and broader information sources rather than anecdotal evidence. This helps in forming more accurate risk assessments and making better-informed decisions.
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Recognizing and Mitigating Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases can distort my reasoning in various ways, such as only remembering peak and final moments of experiences, assuming others share my opinions, and being overly confident in my abilities and knowledge. Left unchecked, these biases can lead to misjudgments and faulty beliefs. Recognizing my brain's susceptibility to these errors is a crucial first step in overcoming them.
While it's impossible to eliminate all cognitive biases, being aware of them and striving for objective examination can mitigate their effects. It's an ongoing process. Understanding the complexities and flaws of human cognition helps me aim to be a clearer, more rational thinker. Despite their imperfections, our brains are fascinating in their complexity and capabilities.
Realistically, I know I'll never be able to eliminate all my cognitive biases. They're simply an inherent part of how the human brain operates. But by remaining alert to these mental traps and trying to examine things as objectively as possible, I can mitigate their influence. It's a constant work in progress.
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Information Biases
Your brain, while a powerful supercomputer, has some faulty wiring. Information biases distort how you process data, leading to poor decisions. We avoid the unknown (Ambiguity Effect), cling to first impressions (Anchoring Bias), and focus on what grabs our attention (Attention Bias), often at the expense of more important details. We overestimate the significance of easily recalled information (Availability Bias), ignore negative info (Ostrich Effect), and prioritize flashy or striking details (Salience Bias), while our expectations shape what we see (Selective Perception). Recognizing these glitches can help you make clearer, more rational decisions.
Ambiguity Effect: The tendency to favor options with known probabilities over those with unknown probabilities, even if the unknown option might have a higher potential payoff.
Example: You're offered two investments: one with a guaranteed 5% return, the other with an unknown return. Most people opt for the guaranteed 5%, even though the unknown option could yield much higher returns.
Anchoring Bias: The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information received on a topic, even if it's inaccurate.
Example: You're asked to estimate Chicago's population. If you first hear 10 million, your guess will likely be closer to that, even if wildly inaccurate, than if you'd heard 1 million first.
Attention Bias: The tendency to pay attention to some things while ignoring others, often influenced by emotions, expectations, and beliefs.
Example: If you're terrified of spiders, you might fixate on a tiny spider, completely missing other important details in the room.
Availability Bias: The tendency to judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily relevant instances come to mind.
Example: A recent plane crash on the news might irrationally convince you flying is more dangerous than driving, even though statistically, it's the opposite.
Ostrich Effect: The tendency to avoid information that could cause psychological discomfort.
Example: After a heated argument, you might avoid checking your phone, knowing your friend is likely upset. You choose blissful ignorance, delaying a potentially necessary confrontation.
Salience Bias: The tendency to focus on information that is more prominent or emotionally striking, even if it's not more important.
Example: A shocking headline about a local kidnapping might make you feel less safe in your neighborhood, even if crime rates are statistically low.
Selective Perception: The tendency to perceive what you want to perceive. You filter information based on existing beliefs, expectations, and emotions.
Example: If you believe all politicians are corrupt, any news about a politician, regardless of context, might be interpreted as proof of their dishonesty.
Belief Biases
Your beliefs are powerful, but they're not immune to bias. Meaning and belief biases twist how you interpret information and form beliefs. You stick to disproven ideas (Belief Perseverance), think you’re less biased than others (Bias Blind Spot), and see patterns where none exist (Clustering Illusion). You favor info that confirms what you already believe (Confirmation Bias) and cling to old evidence over new (Conservatism Bias). Even corrected misinformation sticks (Continued Influence Effect), and you see connections where there aren’t any (Illusory Correlation). Repeated exposure makes false info seem true (Illusory Truth Effect). Understanding these biases can help you form more accurate beliefs and make better decisions.
Belief Perseverance (Backfire Effect): The tendency to cling to your initial beliefs even when presented with contradictory evidence.
Example: Someone convinced that climate change is a hoax might dismiss overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary.
Bias Blind Spot: The tendency to recognize the impact of biases on the judgment of others, while failing to see the impact of biases on your own judgment.
Example: You might readily point out a friend's confirmation bias, but completely miss your own when scrolling through a newsfeed tailored to your preferences.
Clustering Illusion: The tendency to erroneously perceive patterns or streaks within random data.
Example: You flip a coin ten times and get six heads and four tails. You might see this as a meaningful pattern, suggesting the coin is biased, even though this outcome is perfectly within the bounds of randomness.
Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms your preexisting beliefs.
Example: You might be more likely to click on articles that support your political views and less likely to click on articles that challenge them, reinforcing your existing beliefs.
Conservatism Bias: The tendency to favor prior evidence over new evidence or information that challenges your existing beliefs.
Example: You’ve always believed that multitasking makes you more productive. Even when presented with studies showing the downsides of multitasking, you remain skeptical.
Continued Influence Effect: The persistent influence of misinformation on your beliefs and judgments even after it has been corrected.
Example: You might read a news story about a celebrity scandal that's later revealed to be false. Despite knowing it was misinformation, you might still find yourself thinking about the scandal as if it were true.
Illusory Correlation: The tendency to perceive a relationship between two variables when no such relationship exists.
Example: You might notice that every time you wear a particular shirt, your favorite sports team wins their game. You start to believe the shirt is lucky, even though there's no logical connection between your attire and the game's outcome.
Illusory Truth Effect: The tendency to believe information is correct after repeated exposure, even if it is false.
Example: If you see a claim repeated on social media enough times, you might start to believe it's true, even if there’s no evidence to support it.
Decision-Making and Behavioral Biases
Your decisions are often swayed by hidden biases. Action feels better than inaction (Action Bias), and popular choices seem right (Bandwagon Effect). You remember chosen options more favorably (Choice-Supportive Bias) and seek info that confirms your beliefs (Confirmation Bias). You test ideas by looking for evidence that supports them (Congruence Bias) and prefer the status quo (Default Effect). Smaller denominations make you spend more freely (Denomination Effect), and you overvalue what you own (Endowment Effect). How information is presented changes your conclusions (Framing Effect), and you’re blind to alternative uses of objects (Functional Fixedness). Immediate rewards often win over future benefits (Hyperbolic Discounting), and you value things you’ve helped create more (IKEA Effect). These biases can lead to irrational choices. Recognize and mitigate them to improve your decision-making.
Action Bias: The tendency to favor action over inaction, even when action is not necessarily the best course of action.
Example: As a soccer goalkeeper facing a penalty kick, you might feel compelled to dive to one side, even though statistically, staying in the center of the goal offers a better chance of blocking the shot.
Bandwagon Effect: The tendency to do or believe things because many other people do or believe the same.
Example: You see a long line outside a new restaurant and assume it must be good, so you join the line.
Choice-Supportive Bias: The tendency to retroactively attribute positive attributes to an option you have selected and negative attributes to an option you have rejected.
Example: You choose pasta over pizza at a restaurant. Later, you rave about how delicious the pasta was, conveniently downplaying any doubts you had at the time.
Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms your preexisting beliefs.
Example: You’re passionate about a political candidate. You actively seek out information that confirms your positive view of them, while avoiding or dismissing any negative news or criticism.
Congruence Bias: The tendency to test hypotheses exclusively through direct testing, neglecting the possibility of falsification through testing alternative hypotheses.
Example: A scientist hypothesizes that a new drug will cure a specific disease. They conduct experiments to test whether the drug works, but they don't consider testing whether other factors might also be contributing to the cure.
Default Effect: The tendency to favor the default option or the option that requires the least effort, even when it’s not in your best interest.
Example: You sign up for a free trial of a streaming service that automatically renews at a monthly fee unless you opt out. Many people forget to cancel, and end up paying for a service they don't use simply because it was the default option.
Denomination Effect: The tendency to spend more money when it is perceived as smaller denominations (e.g., coins or small bills) rather than larger denominations (e.g., large bills).
Example: You might be more likely to spend $20 in one-dollar bills than a single $20 bill because the smaller denominations make the money seem less "real" or significant.
Endowment Effect: The tendency to place a higher value on something simply because you own it.
Example: You might refuse to sell a concert ticket for $100 even though you bought it for $50, simply because you now own it and place a higher value on the experience.
Framing Effect: The tendency for people to react to a particular choice in different ways depending on how it is presented.
Example: A piece of meat labeled as "90% lean" is more appealing to consumers than the same meat labeled as "10% fat," even though the information is objectively the same.
Functional Fixedness: A cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used.
Example: You need to hammer a nail into the wall, but you can't find a hammer. You overlook the fact that you could use a heavy book or a rock because you are fixated on the traditional function of a hammer.
Hyperbolic Discounting: The tendency to choose a smaller reward sooner over a larger reward later, even when the larger reward is objectively better.
Example: You might choose to eat a slice of cake today over waiting a week to enjoy a healthier, more delicious dessert.
IKEA Effect: The tendency to place a disproportionately high value on products you partially created yourself.
Example: You might be willing to pay more for a piece of furniture you assembled yourself, even if it's objectively no better than a pre-assembled piece.
Information Bias: The tendency to seek information even when it cannot affect action or change the outcome of a situation.
Example: You're about to board a plane, but you continue to check the weather app obsessively, even though the information won't change whether or not the plane takes off.
Loss Aversion: The tendency for people to feel the pain of a loss more strongly than they feel the pleasure of an equivalent gain.
Example: The pain of losing $100 is often felt more acutely than the joy of winning $100.
Mere-Exposure Effect: The tendency to develop a preference for things merely because you are familiar with them.
Example: You might dislike a song the first time you hear it, but after hearing it several times, you find yourself starting to like it.
Omission Bias: The tendency to judge harmful actions as worse, or less moral, than equally harmful inactions (omissions).
Example: You might judge a doctor who prescribes a medication that later causes harm more harshly than a doctor who withholds a potentially life-saving treatment, even if the outcome is the same in both cases.
Optimism Bias: The tendency to be overly optimistic, overestimating favorable and positive outcomes while underestimating the likelihood of unfavorable or negative outcomes.
Example: You might overestimate your chances of winning the lottery or underestimate your chances of getting into a car accident.
Outcome Bias: The tendency to judge a decision based on its outcome rather than on the quality of the decision at the time it was made, based on the information available.
Example: A gambler might be praised for winning a bet on a risky horse race, even if the decision to bet on that horse was irrational.
Planning Fallacy: The tendency to underestimate the time, costs, and risks of future actions, while overestimating the benefits of those actions.
Example: You might underestimate how long it will take you to complete a work project, only to find yourself scrambling to meet the deadline.
Pro-Innovation Bias: The tendency to have an excessive optimism towards an invention or innovation's usefulness throughout society, while often failing to identify its limitations and weaknesses.
Example: You might be overly enthusiastic about a new technology, such as self-driving cars, without fully considering the potential downsides or challenges.
Pseudocertainty Effect: The pseudocertainty effect occurs when an option is perceived as a certain gain, although it is not certain, and this perception influences people to make risk-averse choices.
Example: People might be more likely to buy insurance for a specific event (like a natural disaster) if the policy is framed as eliminating the risk completely, even if the probability of that event is very low.
Reactance: An unpleasant motivational arousal that emerges when people experience a threat to or loss of their free behaviors.
Example: A teenager told they can’t go to a party might rebel by sneaking out to attend the party.
Restraint Bias: The tendency to overestimate your ability to resist temptations or control impulsive behaviors.
Example: You might be overly confident in your ability to resist eating junk food, only to find yourself giving in to a craving.
Rhyme-as-Reason Effect: A cognitive bias in which people judge a saying or aphorism to be more accurate or truthful when it is rewritten to rhyme.
Example: "Birds of a feather flock together" is perceived as more accurate than "Birds of a feather flock as a group," even though the meaning is the same.
Risk Compensation: A theory which suggests that people typically adjust their behavior in response to perceived levels of risk, becoming more careful where they sense greater risk and less careful where they feel more protected.
Example: A driver with anti-lock brakes might drive more aggressively because they feel safer, potentially offsetting the safety benefits of the technology.
Sunk Cost Fallacy: The tendency to continue investing in something (time, money, resources) based on the amount you've already invested, even if it’s no longer a rational decision.
Example: You might continue watching a boring movie because you've already invested two hours of your time, even though you'd be happier doing something else.
Unit Bias: The tendency to want to finish a given unit of a task or an item.
Example: You might feel compelled to finish a whole bag of chips, even if you’re already full, because it feels wrong to leave a partially eaten bag.
Zero-Risk Bias: The tendency to prefer reducing a small risk to zero over a larger reduction in a greater risk.
Example: You might be more willing to pay extra for a product that eliminates a very small risk (like a bike helmet with an extra safety feature), while neglecting to address a much larger risk in your life (like not having health insurance).
Social Biases
Social biases arise from our need for harmony and influence how we view ourselves and others. We rely too much on our own perspective (Egocentric Bias), overestimate how much others agree with us (False Consensus Effect), and judge others’ actions based on their character while blaming our own on circumstances (Fundamental Attribution Error). We let one trait shape our overall impression of someone (Halo Effect), overestimate the impact of external forces (Illusion of External Agency), and think others know our thoughts and feelings better than they do (Illusion of Transparency). We overrate our own qualities (Illusory Superiority), favor our own group (Ingroup Bias), and believe the world is just (Just-World Hypothesis). Understanding these biases can help you navigate social dynamics more effectively.
Egocentric Bias: The tendency to rely too heavily on your own perspective and have difficulty understanding or empathizing with the perspectives of others.
Example: You might assume that everyone else shares your taste in music or that they find your jokes as funny as you do.
False Consensus Effect: The tendency to overestimate how much other people agree with you.
Example: You might overestimate the percentage of people who share your political views because you primarily interact with people who hold similar views.
Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to attribute other people's behavior to their personality traits, while attributing your own behavior to external factors.
Example: You might see someone speeding on the road and think they're a bad driver, but if you speed, you might justify it by saying you're late for an important meeting.
Halo Effect: The tendency for your overall impression of a person to influence how you perceive their specific traits.
Example: If you find someone physically attractive, you might also perceive them as being more intelligent, trustworthy, and competent.
Illusion of External Agency: The tendency to overestimate the influence of external forces on events in your life while underestimating the role of your own choices and actions.
Example: You might attribute your success to luck or fate, downplaying the effort and hard work you invested.
Illusion of Transparency: The tendency to overestimate how much your internal thoughts and emotions are perceived by others.
Example: You might feel like your nervousness is obvious to everyone during a presentation, even if it's not noticeable to others.
Illusory Superiority: A cognitive bias that causes you to overestimate your positive qualities and abilities and to underestimate your negative qualities, compared to others.
Example: You might believe you’re a better driver than average, even though statistically, that's impossible.
Ingroup Bias: The tendency to favor members of your own group (ingroup) over members of other groups (outgroups), even when group membership is arbitrary.
Example: You might show favoritism towards colleagues in your own department over those in another department, even if there's no rational basis for this preference.
Just-World Hypothesis: The cognitive bias that assumes that a person's actions are inherently inclined to bring morally fair and fitting consequences to that person; thus, it is the assumption that all noble actions are eventually rewarded and all evil actions are eventually punished.
Example: A person who believes in a just world might struggle to reconcile the suffering of innocent people with their belief that good things happen to good people.
Moral Luck: Moral luck describes the tendency for people to ascribe greater or lesser moral standing based on the outcome of an event, even if the person involved had no control over the outcome.
Example: Imagine two drivers run a red light. One driver is lucky, and no one is injured. The other driver hits a pedestrian, causing serious injury. The driver who caused the accident will likely be judged more harshly, even though their decision to run the red light was no worse than the first driver's.
Naive Cynicism: Naive cynicism is a cognitive bias that occurs when people expect more egocentric bias in others than is actually present.
Example: You might assume a coworker who offers to help you with a project has ulterior motives, even though they might be genuinely trying to be helpful.
Naive Realism: Naïve realism is the tendency to believe that we see the world around us objectively, and that people who disagree with us must be uninformed, irrational, or biased.
Example: You might believe that your political views are simply a reflection of reality, and that people who disagree with you are simply wrong or misguided.
Outgroup Homogeneity Bias: Outgroup homogeneity is the tendency to perceive members of an outgroup as being more similar to each other than members of your ingroup.
Example: You might perceive all members of a rival sports team as being aggressive and unsportsmanlike, while viewing members of your own team as individuals with diverse personalities.
Projection Bias: Projection bias is the tendency to unconsciously assume that others share the same thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and values as you do.
Example: You might be surprised and offended when a friend expresses a political view that differs drastically from your own, even though you should know that not everyone shares your beliefs.
Self-Serving Bias: Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute your successes to internal factors and your failures to external factors.
Example: You might take credit for a successful project, attributing it to your skills and intelligence, but blame a failed project on factors outside your control, such as a lack of resources or support.
Shared Information Bias: Shared information bias is the tendency for groups to spend more time discussing information that all members know (shared information) and less time discussing information that only some members know (unshared information).
Example: A group of friends planning a trip might spend most of their time discussing destinations they've all been to before, rather than exploring new options.
System Justification: System justification theory (SJT) is a theory within social psychology that attempts to explain why people are motivated to justify the status quo, even when it may be disadvantageous to them.
Example: People who are disadvantaged by a particular social system might still defend that system because it provides a sense of order and predictability.
Memory Errors and Biases:
Your memories aren’t as reliable as you think. Memory biases distort how you recall past events. You remember bizarre things better (Bizarreness Effect) and think chosen options were better than rejected ones (Choice-Supportive Bias). High and low values seem more moderate over time (Conservatism Bias), and you think past attitudes were like current ones (Consistency Bias). Context matters for memory (Context Effect), and we struggle to identify people of different races (Cross-Race Effect). Imagination can feel like memory (Cryptomnesia), and you recall the past in a self-serving way (Egocentric Bias). Emotions fade quicker for bad memories (Fading Affect Bias), and false memories can form easily (False Memory). Recognize these biases to understand your past more accurately.
Bizarreness Effect: The tendency to remember unusual or unexpected items and events more effectively than mundane ones.
Example: You might easily recall a time you saw a man walking a pig on a leash because it's so unusual, while forgetting a more mundane event, like seeing a dog being walked.
Choice-Supportive Bias: The tendency to retroactively ascribe positive attributes to an option you have selected and negative attributes to an option you have rejected.
Example: You might remember a vacation you chose as being more enjoyable and relaxing than it actually was, while recalling a vacation you decided against as being less appealing.
Conservatism Bias: The tendency to favor prior evidence over new evidence or information that challenges your existing beliefs.
Example: You read a study that contradicts your long-held beliefs about nutrition. Even though the study is well-designed, you might dismiss its findings and give more weight to your prior beliefs.
Consistency Bias: The tendency to incorrectly remember your past attitudes and behavior as resembling your present attitudes and behavior.
Example: You might remember being more politically active in your youth than you actually were because your current political views are more solidified.
Context Effect: Context effects refer to the influence of environmental factors on one's perception of a stimulus.
Example: You might have difficulty recognizing a person you know from work when you see them in a different context, like at the grocery store.
Cross-Race Effect: The tendency to more easily recognize faces of the race or ethnicity that you are most familiar with (which is most often your own race), and therefore have difficulty recognizing faces of races or ethnicities that you are less familiar with.
Example: A white witness to a crime involving a Black suspect might have difficulty accurately identifying the suspect in a lineup.
Cryptomnesia: When a forgotten memory returns without its being recognized as such by the subject, who believes it is something new and original.
Example: You might write a song, only to discover later that it's extremely similar to a song you've heard before, even though you don’t consciously remember hearing it.
Egocentric Bias: The tendency to recall the past in a self-serving manner, exaggerating your role in past events and remembering things as being more favorable to you than they actually were.
Example: You might remember yourself as having been a better athlete or student in high school than you actually were.
Fading Affect Bias: Memories associated with negative emotions tend to fade faster than those associated with positive emotions.
Example: You might remember a fun vacation from several years ago more vividly than a stressful or unpleasant experience that occurred around the same time.
False Memory: A recollection that seems real in your mind but is fabricated in part or in whole.
Example: You might vividly remember details of an event that never happened, or you might have a distorted memory of an actual event.
Generation Effect: Information is better remembered if it is generated from one's own mind rather than simply read.
Example: You're more likely to remember information from a lecture if you take notes by hand rather than simply listening passively.
Google Effect: The tendency to forget information that can be easily retrieved online.
Example: You might not bother to remember a friend’s birthday because you know you can easily look it up on social media.
Hindsight Bias: The tendency, after an event has occurred, to see the event as having been predictable, even if there was no objective basis for predicting it.
Example: After a team wins a game, you might say "I knew they were going to win all along!" even though you had no real way of knowing the outcome.
Humor Effect: The tendency to remember humorous things better than non-humorous things.
Example: You’re more likely to remember a funny anecdote from a party than a more serious conversation.
Illusion of Truth: The tendency to believe information is correct after repeated exposure, even if it is false.
Example: You might start to believe a political rumor after seeing it repeated by several different sources, even if you initially questioned its validity.
Illusory Correlation: The tendency to perceive a relationship between two variables when no such relationship exists.
Example: You might believe that people who wear glasses are more intelligent, even though there's no scientific basis for this belief.
Lag Effect: Learning is greater when studying is spread out over time (spaced repetition), as opposed to studying the same amount of time in a single session.
Example: You are more likely to remember vocabulary words if you study them over several short sessions rather than cramming them all at once.
Leveling and Sharpening: Memory distortions introduced by the loss of details over time. Leveling refers to simplifying the information, while sharpening refers to exaggerating prominent details.
Example: You might remember the gist of a story you heard years ago, but the details might be less clear (leveling). However, you might vividly recall a specific, emotionally charged detail (sharpening).
Levels-of-Processing Effect: Information is better remembered when it is processed deeply.
Example: You are more likely to remember a word if you think about its meaning and how it relates to other words, rather than simply repeating the word over and over again.
List-Length Effect: Recall accuracy decreases as the number of items to remember increases.
Example: You are more likely to remember all the items on a short grocery list than a long one.
Misinformation Effect: Our recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate because of post-event information.
Example: Witnesses to a car accident might remember the event differently depending on how they're questioned about it. Leading questions ("Did you see the car run the red light?" vs. "What color was the traffic light?") can influence their memories.
Modality Effect: Auditory presentation of information is superior to visual presentation of information for short-term memory recall.
Example: You are more likely to remember the last few items on a list if you heard them spoken aloud rather than reading them silently.
Mood-Congruent Memory Bias: The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with your current mood.
Example: If you’re feeling happy, you're more likely to recall happy memories. If you're feeling sad, you're more likely to recall sad memories.
Next-in-Line Effect: You have lower recall for information presented right before your turn to perform a task or recall information.
Example: If you’re in a circle introducing yourself, you’re more likely to forget the name of the person who introduced themselves right before you.
Part-List Cueing Effect: Presenting a cue (reminder) of some items on a list makes it harder to remember the remaining items on the list.
Example: Imagine you need to remember a list of grocery items. If someone reminds you of some of the items ("Did you remember to put milk and eggs on the list?"), you might have a harder time recalling the remaining items.
Peak–End Rule: People judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its most intense point and at its end, rather than the total sum or average of every moment.
Example: Your memory of a rollercoaster ride might be based on the most thrilling drop and the feeling at the very end, rather than the entire duration of the ride.
Picture Superiority Effect: Pictures and images are more likely to be remembered than words.
Example: You’re more likely to remember a photograph of a place you visited than a written description of the same place.
Positivity Effect: The ability to constructively analyze a situation with undesired results, finding positive aspects.
Example: An elderly person might focus on the wisdom and experience gained from aging, downplaying physical limitations.
Primacy Effect, Recency Effect & Serial Position Effect: We remember best the first and last items in a list, with poorer recall for items in the middle.
Example: If you try to memorize a list of words, you’re more likely to recall the words at the beginning and end of the list, while the words in the middle might be harder to remember.
Processing Difficulty Effect: Information that takes more effort to process is better remembered.
Example: You’re more likely to remember information from a textbook if you actively engage with the material, taking notes, summarizing key points, and asking yourself questions, rather than simply reading it passively.
Reminiscence Bump: Older adults recall a disproportionate number of personal events from their adolescence and early adulthood.
Example: A 70-year-old person might have more vivid memories of events from their 20s than from their 40s.
Rosy Retrospection: The tendency to recall the past as being more positive than it actually was.
Example: You might remember a childhood vacation as being idyllic and carefree, even though you might have been bored or homesick at the time.
Self-Relevance Effect: Information that is personally relevant to you is better remembered.
Example: You might easily remember details from a conversation about your favorite hobby, while struggling to recall details from a conversation about a topic you’re not interested in.
Source Confusion: You misattribute the source of a memory. You might remember a fact or event correctly, but be mistaken about where you learned it or when it happened.
Example: You might remember hearing a joke from a friend, but later realize you actually heard it from a comedian on TV.
Spacing Effect: Learning is greater when studying is spread out over time (spaced repetition), as opposed to studying the same amount of time in a single session.
Example: You’re more likely to remember information for an exam if you study it over several short sessions rather than cramming the night before.
Spotlight Effect: You overestimate the amount that other people notice your appearance or behavior.
Example: You might be self-conscious about a stain on your shirt, assuming everyone is staring at it, when in reality, most people probably won’t even notice it.
Stereotypical Bias: Memory distorted towards stereotypes (e.g., racial or gender).
Example: A person might falsely remember a woman working in a typically male-dominated job (like engineering) as being more assertive or aggressive than she actually was, based on stereotypes about women in that profession.
Suffix Effect: The recency effect (better recall for the last items on a list) is diminished when a sound item is appended to the list that the subject is not required to recall.
Example: If you're trying to memorize a list of numbers, your ability to remember the last few numbers might be impaired if you hear an irrelevant word or sound immediately after the list is presented.
Suggestibility: Ideas suggested by a questioner are mistaken for memory.
Example: A witness to a crime might incorporate misleading information from an interviewer into their memory of the event.
Telescoping Effect: Recent events are perceived as more remote than they are, and distant events are perceived as more recent.
Example: You might remember a vacation from last year as feeling like it happened longer ago than it did, while a childhood memory might feel more recent than it actually is.
Testing Effect: Long-term memory is increased when some of the learning period is devoted to retrieving the information through testing, rather than simply rereading or restudying the material.
Example: You are more likely to remember information from a textbook if you quiz yourself on the material rather than simply rereading it.
Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon: The experience of failing to retrieve a word from memory, combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent.
Example: You’re trying to remember the name of an actor, and you can picture his face and some of his movies, but his name escapes you. You feel like it's right there on the tip of your tongue.
Travis Syndrome: You overestimate the significance of the present and underestimate the significance of past events.
Example: You might believe that current technology is far superior to technology from the past, dismissing the ingenuity or impact of earlier inventions.
Verbatim Effect: You remember the gist, or general meaning, of information better than the verbatim wording.
Example: You might remember the main points of a speech, but you might not remember the exact words that the speaker used.
Von Restorff Effect: When multiple similar objects are present, the one that differs from the rest is most likely to be remembered.
Example: If you're shown a list of words in black ink, with one word in red ink, you're more likely to remember the word in red ink.
Zeigarnik Effect: You remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks.
Example: You’re more likely to remember the plot of a TV show you stopped watching mid-season than the plot of a show you finished
Emotional Biases
Your emotions heavily influence your decisions. You rely on current emotions to make quick choices (Affect Heuristic), fail to consider future feelings (Empathy Gap Bias), and are swayed by the emotions of those around you (Emotional Contagion Bias). You pay more attention to negative information (Negativity Bias) and overestimate positive outcomes (Optimism Bias) or negative ones (Pessimism Bias). You assume others share your current thoughts and feelings (Projection Bias). Being aware of these biases helps you manage emotional decision-making more effectively.
Affect Heuristic: You make judgments and decisions based on your current emotional state.
Example: You might be more likely to buy a lottery ticket if you're feeling optimistic or lucky, even though the odds of winning are extremely low.
Empathy Gap Bias: You underestimate the influence of strong emotions and sensations on your own attitudes, preferences, and behaviors.
Example: You might underestimate how much hunger will influence your food choices later in the day, leading you to make unrealistic plans about eating healthy.
Emotional Contagion Bias: One person's emotions and behaviors directly trigger similar emotions and behaviors in other people.
Example: You might feel happy after interacting with a cheerful and enthusiastic salesperson, even if you weren’t initially in a good mood.
Negativity Bias: Negative events and information have a greater impact on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors than positive events or information.
Example: You might dwell on a critical comment from a colleague, while quickly forgetting several positive compliments.
Optimism Bias: You are overly optimistic, overestimating favorable and positive outcomes while underestimating the likelihood of unfavorable or negative outcomes.
Example: You might underestimate your risk of developing a health problem, assuming you’re healthier than the average person.
Pessimism Bias: You overestimate the likelihood of negative outcomes, even when evidence suggests otherwise.
Example: You might be overly worried about a job interview, convinced you’ll perform poorly, even if you have the necessary qualifications and have prepared well.
Projection Bias: You unconsciously assume that others share the same thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and values as you do.
Example: You might be surprised and upset when a friend expresses a controversial opinion that clashes with your own deeply held beliefs.
Prompts
Want Help Putting These Prompts into Action?
1| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
>
> PROMPT == "Objective: Define cognitive biases, explain their evolutionary origins, and discuss how these mental shortcuts can lead to flawed reasoning and suboptimal decision-making in modern contexts. Provide specific examples to illustrate your points.
Definition of Cognitive Biases: Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, whereby inferences about other people and situations may be drawn in an illogical fashion. These biases often arise from the brain's attempt to simplify information processing.
Evolutionary Origins of Cognitive Biases: Explain the concept of evolutionary psychology and how cognitive biases may have developed as adaptive mechanisms to enhance survival and reproduction. Provide detailed explanations of why these mental shortcuts were advantageous in ancestral environments.
Modern Contexts and Examples: Discuss how these once-beneficial biases can lead to flawed reasoning and suboptimal decision-making in today's world. Provide at least three specific examples of cognitive biases in modern contexts, including:
Availability Heuristic: Describe how reliance on immediate examples that come to mind can skew perception of risk (e.g., overestimating the danger of rare events like plane crashes due to media coverage).
Confirmation Bias: Explain how the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one’s preconceptions can lead to poor decision-making (e.g., in the context of hiring decisions or political beliefs).
Anchoring Bias: Illustrate how initial information can disproportionately influence decision-making (e.g., in negotiations where the initial offer sets the stage for the final agreement).
Discussion of Implications: Analyze the broader implications of cognitive biases on individual and collective decision-making. Discuss potential strategies for mitigating the negative effects of these biases in various domains such as business, healthcare, and personal relationships.
Output Requirements:
Length: 500-700 words
Structure:
Introduction
Definition of Cognitive Biases
Evolutionary Origins
Modern Examples (Availability Heuristic, Confirmation Bias, Anchoring Bias)
Discussion of Implications
Conclusion
Tone: Informative and academic
Style: Clear and logical, with well-defined sections and smooth transitions"
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
2| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Objective:
To explain the anchoring bias and demonstrate its impact on decision-making with real-world examples in negotiations, purchasing decisions, and numerical estimates.
Instructions:
Define Anchoring Bias:
Provide a clear definition and psychological mechanism.
Impact on Decision-Making:
Explain how anchoring bias affects decision-making processes.
Real-World Examples:
Negotiations: Initial offers set the tone.
Purchasing Decisions: Initial price tags influence perceived value.
Numerical Estimates: Initial figures skew subsequent estimates.
Research and Credibility:
Support with credible research findings.
Cite studies and expert opinions.
Conclusion:
Summarize key points and suggest mitigation strategies.
Output Requirements:
Structure: Introduction, Definition, Impact, Examples, Research, Conclusion
Tone: Formal and informative
Length: 600-800 words
Include APA citations for references"
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
3| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Objective:
Conduct a detailed analysis of confirmation bias, covering:
Definition and Mechanisms:
Define confirmation bias and explain its cognitive mechanisms.
Provide everyday examples.
Impact on Beliefs and Behavior:
Discuss how it perpetuates false beliefs and contributes to societal polarization and resistance to change.
Strategies to Recognize and Overcome Confirmation Bias:
Suggest evidence-based individual and group strategies.
Include real-world examples or case studies.
Context and Importance:
Understanding and mitigating confirmation bias is crucial for informed decision-making and fostering critical thinking.
Output Requirements:
Structure and Length:
Clear sections: definition, impact, strategies.
Total length: 2,000 to 3,000 words.
Content and Style:
Clear, precise language with relevant examples and credible citations.
Objective, evidence-based tone.
Research and Citations:
Use authoritative sources (academic journals, books, reputable websites).
In-text citations and reference list in APA format."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
4| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Examine how the availability bias, defined as the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events that are more easily remembered, can distort risk perception and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. Provide compelling examples to illustrate its influence in various domains, including health, investing, and public policy. Ensure that each example clearly demonstrates the impact of availability bias on the perception of risk and the subsequent decisions made."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
5| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Objective: Evaluate the pervasive impact of cognitive biases on critical facets of life, such as career choices, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing. Illustrate how unchecked biases can compound over time, leading to missed opportunities, poor judgment, and preventable mistakes.
Instructions:
Eliminate Ambiguity:
Define cognitive biases as systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, leading individuals to make decisions in an illogical fashion.
Clarify the term "critical facets of life" to include specific areas such as career choices, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing.
Maximize Specificity:
Provide precise definitions and examples of common cognitive biases such as confirmation bias, anchoring bias, availability heuristic, and overconfidence bias.
Use specific metrics and scenarios to illustrate the impact of these biases in various life aspects.
Streamline and Focus:
Ensure the core objectives of the prompt are prominently stated: understanding the impact of cognitive biases and illustrating their long-term effects.
Remove any nonessential details that do not directly contribute to the evaluation of cognitive biases.
Provide Comprehensive Context:
Explain each cognitive bias in detail, including how it manifests and its typical consequences.
Include relevant psychological theories or studies that support the discussion of cognitive biases and their impacts.
Detail Exact Output Requirements:
The output should be a well-structured report with an introduction, detailed analysis for each critical facet (career choices, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing), and a conclusion summarizing the findings.
The report should be approximately 1500-2000 words.
Use a formal, academic tone suitable for a research report.
Provide citations from credible sources to support all claims and examples.
Fine-tune the Scope:
Ensure the discussion covers a broad range of cognitive biases but remains focused on their impact on the specified life facets.
Allow for a comprehensive analysis within the 1500-2000 word limit.
Eliminate Bias and Opinion:
Present an objective analysis of cognitive biases, avoiding subjective statements or unproven assumptions.
Balance the discussion by acknowledging situations where cognitive biases might have neutral or even positive effects."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
6| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "EvObjective: Provide a comprehensive guide on cognitive biases, detailing their definitions, types, impacts, and strategies for mitigation. The guide should cover how cognitive biases influence decision-making in various aspects of life, including career choices, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing.
Output Requirements:
Well-structured guide with sections on definitions, types, impacts, and mitigation strategies.
Approximately 2000-2500 words.
Formal, yet accessible tone with academic rigor.
Citations from credible sources to support all claims and examples.
Content Structure:
Introduction to Cognitive Biases:
Define cognitive biases.
Explain the importance of understanding cognitive biases.
Common Types of Cognitive Biases:
Provide detailed definitions and examples of biases such as confirmation bias, anchoring bias, availability heuristic, overconfidence bias, hindsight bias, self-serving bias, status quo bias, and loss aversion.
Impact of Cognitive Biases:
Career Choices:
Discuss biases affecting career decisions, job performance, and professional growth.
Provide examples like confirmation bias in job selection and anchoring bias in salary negotiations.
Interpersonal Relationships:
Explain biases affecting romantic relationships, friendships, and family dynamics.
Use examples like availability heuristic in friendships and overconfidence bias in conflict resolution.
Overall Wellbeing:
Analyze long-term effects on mental health, life satisfaction, and decision-making.
Provide scenarios where unchecked biases lead to preventable mistakes and reduced wellbeing.
Mitigation Strategies:
Awareness and Education:
Importance of being aware of cognitive biases.
Suggest educational resources.
Critical Thinking and Reflection:
Techniques for improving critical thinking and self-reflection.
Decision-Making Frameworks:
Introduce frameworks like pros and cons lists, cost-benefit analysis, and decision trees.
Feedback and External Perspectives:
Value of seeking feedback and considering external perspectives.
Conclusion:
Summarize key points.
Reinforce the importance of understanding and mitigating cognitive biases.
Example Structure and Tone:
Clear headings and subheadings.
Formal, yet accessible tone.
Real-life examples and case studies.
Credible sources for citations."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
7| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Present a framework for recognizing and mitigating common cognitive biases in everyday situations. Discuss proven debiasing techniques such as considering alternative explanations, seeking disconfirming evidence, and using decision aids. Provide actionable steps to cultivate a habit of bias-aware thinking and decision making."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
8| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Describe a consequential instance from your own life when you fell victim to a cognitive bias. Analyze what factors contributed to the biased thinking, what the repercussions were, and how you could have potentially avoided it in hindsight. Extract broader lessons for improving your own and others' judgment."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
9| PROMPT:
<scratchpad-think>
> You are an expert advanced AI assistant designed to be helpful, intelligent, analytical, and thought-provoking. You have access to a scratchpad feature that allows you to record your thought process and reference relevant information as you work through complex tasks. I will provide you with a prompt that requires you to engage in chain-of-thought reasoning. When I do so, please use the following structure:
> PROMPT == "Make a compelling case for the benefits of proactively reducing cognitive biases on an individual and societal level. Discuss how less biased thinking can improve the quality of decisions, strengthen relationships, boost creativity, increase open-mindedness and build resilience. Support your arguments with research findings and concrete examples."
>
> <scratchpad>
> [Record any key information extracted from the prompt, such as hypotheses, evidence, or task instructions]
> [Document your step-by-step reasoning process, including notes, observations, and questions]
> [Include possible exploratory questions that would further our exploration and understanding of the topic at hand and all related content.]
> [Include a section about your thoughts on the question from the user and your output so far. How well does it achieve the original goal? Give it a rating out of 1 to 5 like 3/5 or 4/5 etc. Does your output lead to any other queries that are thought-provoking?]
> [Summarize your final conclusion or answer based on the information in the scratchpad, including a section for further questions and additional thoughts/notes/amendments.]
> </scratchpad>
>
> [Provide your final answer or result]
>
> The scratchpad is a powerful tool that helps you maintain coherence and accuracy, especially when dealing with long, complex prompts. Use it diligently to showcase your chain-of-thought reasoning abilities.
ALWAYS write in this language: English.
---
I. Comprehensive Lists & Explanations:
Wikipedia - List of Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This page provides a comprehensive and categorized list of cognitive biases with definitions and examples. (Good for a general overview and detailed information)Visual Capitalist - Every Single Cognitive Bias - Visit Link
This page visually represents a comprehensive list of cognitive biases using infographics, making them easy to understand. (Good for visual learners and those seeking a quick understanding)The Decision Lab - Biases - Visit Link
This site offers detailed explanations of various cognitive biases, including their definitions, examples, and potential impacts. (Good for in-depth understanding and exploring psychological theories)YourBias.is - Visit Link
This interactive website helps people recognize and understand their own cognitive biases in a user-friendly format. (Good for self-reflection and personalized learning)Behavioral Economics - Mini Encyclopedia of Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This page offers a mini-encyclopedia of cognitive biases with definitions and examples for a wide range of biases. (Good for finding specific biases and their explanations)
II. Detailed Articles & Explanations:
Verywell Mind - What is a Cognitive Bias? - Visit Link
This article explains cognitive biases, their origins, and their impact on thinking and decision-making. (Good for a foundational understanding)Verywell Mind - Cognitive Biases That Distort Thinking - Visit Link
This article delves into how cognitive biases distort thinking and decision-making processes, offering practical advice on mitigating their effects. (Good for practical application)Psychology Today - The Most Common Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This blog post discusses common cognitive biases with explanations and real-world examples. (Good for understanding how biases influence behavior)Clearer Thinking - The List of Common Cognitive Bias with Examples - Visit Link
This page lists common cognitive biases with practical examples to help readers recognize them in their own thinking. (Good for self-awareness and recognizing biases in daily life)BBC Future - The Cognitive Biases That Lead to Bad Decisions - Visit Link
This article discusses several cognitive biases that commonly lead to poor decision-making. (Good for understanding the negative consequences of biases)Mind Tools - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This practical guide explains cognitive biases, their effects on decision-making, and strategies for overcoming them. (Good for developing strategies to improve thinking)
III. Academic & Research-Based Resources:
ScienceDirect - Cognitive Bias - Visit Link
This resource provides academic and research-based articles on cognitive biases. (Good for in-depth scientific analysis)Britannica - Cognitive Bias - Visit Link
This entry offers a concise overview of cognitive biases, including definitions, examples, and historical context. (Good for a general understanding)APA - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
The American Psychological Association page provides a scholarly overview of the topic, including research findings and implications. (Good for academic research and understanding research on the topic)Simply Psychology - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This site explains various cognitive biases in an easy-to-understand format, including definitions, examples, and psychological theories. (Good for a balanced mix of understanding and academic context)NCBI - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
These articles from the National Center for Biotechnology Information provide scholarly reviews of cognitive biases, including research findings and scientific discussions. (Good for finding the latest research and in-depth analysis)Frontiers in Psychology - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This journal publishes research articles on cognitive biases, offering in-depth scientific analysis and findings. (Good for exploring cutting-edge research)Bergen LibGuides - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This guide provides a list of resources and articles on cognitive biases, suitable for academic research and study. (Good for finding a range of academic resources)Humanitas University - List of Common Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This page lists common cognitive biases with definitions and examples, helpful for academic purposes. (Good for a structured list of biases for study)
IV. Practical Guides & Applications:
Better Humans - Cognitive Bias Cheat Sheet - Visit Link
This article provides a cheat sheet for cognitive biases, summarizing key biases and offering practical advice for recognizing and overcoming them. (Good for a quick overview and practical advice)McKinsey - Debiasing the Human Mind - Visit Link
This article explores strategies for debiasing the human mind, providing practical advice for improving decision-making processes. (Good for practical advice on overcoming biases)Harvard Business Review - How to Overcome Your Biases - Visit Link
This article offers strategies for overcoming cognitive biases, providing practical advice for improving decision-making processes. (Good for practical advice on overcoming biases)Entrepreneur - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This article discusses cognitive biases and their impact on business decision-making, offering examples and advice for mitigating their effects. (Good for understanding the impact of biases on business)Interaction Design Foundation - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This page explores cognitive biases in the context of design and user experience. (Good for understanding biases in design and UX)Nielsen Norman Group - Cognitive Biases and Heuristics - Visit Link
This group discusses cognitive biases and heuristics, focusing on their impact on user experience and design. (Good for understanding the connection between biases and design)
V. Books & Literature:
Goodreads - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This page lists books related to cognitive biases, useful for finding literature that explores the topic in greater depth. (Good for exploring the topic through books)Amazon - Cognitive Bias Books - Visit Link
This page lists books on cognitive biases, providing a wide range of literature for further study. (Good for finding books on the topic)The CEO Library - Best Books on Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This library lists recommended books on cognitive biases focusing on improving decision-making processes. (Good for finding books specifically focused on business application)
VI. Educational Resources:
edX - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This platform offers courses on cognitive biases, providing educational content and practical advice for recognizing and mitigating these biases. (Good for online learning and practical application)Coursera - Cognitive Biases and Decision-Making - Visit Link
This platform provides courses on cognitive biases and their impact on decision-making, offering educational content and practical advice for improving thinking processes. (Good for online learning and improving decision-making)Udemy - Cognitive Biases and Decision-Making - Visit Link
This platform offers courses on cognitive biases, providing educational content and practical advice for recognizing and mitigating these biases. (Good for online learning and practical application)Khan Academy - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This academy provides educational videos on cognitive biases, explaining how they affect perception and decision-making. (Good for visual learners and understanding the basics of biases)MasterClass - Cognitive Biases Explained - Visit Link
This platform offers courses that explain cognitive biases and their impact on thinking and decision-making processes. (Good for in-depth understanding and practical application)
VII. Miscellaneous:
Positive Psychology - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This site offers articles that explain cognitive biases and their impact on mental health and decision-making. (Good for understanding the connection between biases and well-being)The Atlantic - Cognitive Bias - Visit Link
This article explores the concept of cognitive bias and discusses its implications for behavior and decision-making. (Good for a general overview and real-world application)Gust de Backer - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This resource offers a detailed exploration of cognitive biases, including definitions, examples, and discussions of their impact on decision-making. (Good for a comprehensive understanding)Psychology Today - The Cognitive Biases Codex - Visit Link
This blog post presents the Cognitive Biases Codex, a visual representation of various biases and their categories. (Good for a visual representation of biases and their categories)Inc. - Cognitive Biases That Can Lead to Disastrous Decisions - Visit Link
This article discusses cognitive biases that can lead to poor decision-making, providing examples and advice for mitigating their effects. (Good for understanding the risks of biases and how to avoid them)Farnam Street - Mental Models: Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This site explores cognitive biases as part of its series on mental models. (Good for understanding how biases affect thinking and decision-making)Mental Floss - Common Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This site provides a list of common cognitive biases, explaining each one and discussing their impact on behavior and thinking. (Good for understanding common biases and their impact)Scientific American - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This article explores cognitive biases and their effects on decision-making processes, providing examples and scientific explanations. (Good for understanding the scientific basis of biases)Fast Company - Cognitive Biases That Will Make You a Terrible Decision-Maker - Visit Link
This article discusses cognitive biases that can lead to poor decision-making, offering examples and practical advice for overcoming them. (Good for understanding the negative consequences of biases and how to avoid them)Business Insider - Cognitive Biases That Affect Decisions - Visit Link
This article lists cognitive biases that commonly affect decision-making, providing examples and discussing their impact. (Good for understanding the impact of biases on decision-making)Forbes - Cognitive Biases and Brain Biology - Visit Link
This article explores the relationship between cognitive biases and brain biology. (Good for understanding the biological basis of biases)The Marginalian - Cognitive Biases - Visit Link
This blog explores cognitive biases and their effects on thinking and behavior, providing insights into how these biases operate and affect decision-making. (Good for understanding the impact of biases on daily life)
Well, there you have it folks - a tour of the cognitive biases that make our minds so fascinating and frustrating all at once!
We've learned that our brains are not always the reliable narrators we'd like them to be. They take shortcuts, play favorites, and sometimes lead us astray. But hey, nobody's perfect, right?
The good news is, just by reading this handbook, you've already leveled up your mental game. You're like a bias-spotting superhero now, ready to call out those pesky thinking errors whenever they rear their ugly heads.
So what's next? It's time to put your newfound knowledge into action! Start small - maybe challenge one bias a day. Catch yourself jumping to conclusions or falling for a fallacy, and give yourself a mental high-five for noticing.
Remember, the goal isn't to become some kind of emotionless logic robot. We're all beautifully human, biases and all. The real win is in recognizing our biases and working with them, not against them.
So enjoy the journey, and don't take it too seriously. Laugh at your mental quirks, learn from your mistakes, and enjoy the ride.