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MIXORA CONCEPT

Cognitive bias

A systematic pattern in judgment or memory that departs from a relevant standard or produces predictable error.

thoughtStrong evidence
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE

Bias is an analytical label for a pattern, not a diagnosis of stupidity or bad faith. The relevant standard and context must be stated.

What “Strong evidence” means

The core definition or effect is well established across authoritative standards, foundational research or a broad research literature. The label does not make every practical prediction certain.

Marker-board illustration created specifically to explain Cognitive bias: A systematic pattern in judgment or memory that departs from a relevant standard or produces predictable error.VISUAL EXPLANATION · MARKER BOARD
A systematic pattern in judgment or memory that departs from a relevant standard or produces predictable error.
EXAMPLE

Estimates can remain pulled toward an initial number even when that number was arbitrary.

COMMON CONFUSION

A bias observed on average does not predict every individual response.

ASK YOURSELF

Compared with which standard, and under which conditions, is the judgment biased?

RELATED CONCEPTS
thoughtHeuristic

A simplifying strategy or rule of thumb used to make judgments or solve problems efficiently.

→thoughtConfirmation bias

A tendency to seek, interpret or remember information in ways that favor an existing belief or hypothesis.

→thought × bridgeFraming effect

A change in judgment caused by how equivalent or closely related information is presented.

→thoughtAnchoring

Insufficient adjustment of a judgment away from an initial value or reference point.

→

SOURCES & TRUST

References

Last reviewed

  1. 01
    Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases

    Amos Tversky & Daniel Kahneman · 1974 · Science

    Classic account of representativeness, availability and anchoring in judgment under uncertainty.
    Academic source
  2. 02
    Confirmation Bias: A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises

    Raymond S. Nickerson · 1998 · Review of General Psychology

    Review of selective searching for and interpretation of evidence.
    Academic source
What the source labels mean
Primary source
Original work, experiment, standard or historical text.
Academic source
Scholarly research or review published for an academic audience.
Reference source
An expert standard, encyclopedia or institutional explanation that summarizes a field.
General reference
A practical specialist resource useful for application, but not treated as decisive research by itself.