Types of Cognitive Biases

Types of cognitive biases refer to the ¹ various systematic patterns of thinking or mental shortcuts that can lead to deviations from rationality and objective reasoning.

These cognitive biases types are inherent in human cognition and can influence how we perceive, process, and interpret information, as well as the judgments and decisions we make. They often occur automatically and unconsciously, shaping our thought processes and affecting our behaviors without our awareness. 

Cognitive biases can manifest ² in different ways and are widespread among individuals with various mental health disorders ³ such as depression, post-traumatic disorder, substance abuse disorder, anxiety disorder, etc.

Research indicates ⁴ that people affected by these mental health issues tend to selectively focus on, remember, and interpret events in a manner which in a way indicates the responses that are common in cognitive biases.

Being aware of these biases is crucial as they can impact our mental health functioning and overall well-being and hinder our ability to make informed decisions.

Different Types of Cognitive Biases

Some examples of different types of cognitive biases include:

1. Actor-Observer Bias

The actor-observer bias is a cognitive bias that refers ⁵ to the tendency to attribute our own behavior to external factors while attributing the behavior of others to internal factors.

For example, if an individual is driving and accidentally rear-end another car at a traffic light, as the “actor” in this situation, he/she may attribute the accident to external factors such as the slippery road conditions, or the behavior of the other driver.

However, if the individual observes someone else rear-end another car at a traffic light, he/she might attribute their behavior to internal factors, such as they were careless, reckless, or simply a bad driver. In this case, he/she sees the other driver as the “observer” in this situation.

Read More About Actor-Observer Bias Here

2. Self-Serving Bias

The self-serving bias is a cognitive bias that refers ⁶ to individuals’ tendency to attribute their successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors. 

For example, if an individual performs exceptionally well in a sports competition and attributes his victory solely to his skills and effort. However, when he performs poorly in the next competition, he blames external factors such as bad luck or unfavorable circumstances, disregarding any personal responsibility.

Read More About Self-Serving Bias Here

3. Confirmation Bias

This bias entails selectively seeking or ⁷ interpreting information in a way that confirms our existing beliefs or hypotheses while disregarding the contradictory evidence. 

For example, if someone strongly supports a specific political ideology, they may only consume news or engage with information sources that align with their beliefs, while disregarding alternative perspectives.

Read More About Confirmation Bias Here

4. Hindsight Bias

People experiencing hindsight bias tend to ⁸ believe that they knew or should have known the outcome all along, underestimating the uncertainty and complexity of the situation as it unfolded.

For example, when a sports team wins a game, fans may claim that they had confidently anticipated the team’s success from the beginning, overlooking the inherent uncertainties and unpredictable nature of sports events.

5. Anchoring Bias

This bias manifests when ⁹ we heavily rely on the first piece of information encountered (the “anchor”) when making subsequent judgments or decisions. 

When comparing two laptops at a store, the higher initial price of one model can anchor the buyer’s perception of value, making them more likely to consider it a superior option even if it may not offer significantly better features.

6. Misinformation Effect

The misinformation effect refers to ¹⁰ the phenomenon where the introduction of misleading or incorrect information can alter a person’s memory of an event or experience.

For example, if someone witnesses a crime and then hears various conflicting accounts of what happened, their memory of the event may be influenced by the misinformation they encountered, leading them to recall details incorrectly.

7. False-consensus Effect

The false-consensus effect is a cognitive bias in which ¹¹ individuals overestimate the extent to which their own opinions, beliefs, preferences, or behaviors are shared by others. It involves assuming that one’s attitudes and behaviors are more common or typical than they are.

For instance, if we strongly believe that a particular political candidate is the best choice, we may assume that most other people also hold the same view, underestimating the diversity of opinions and perspectives.

8. Halo Effect

This bias occurs when ¹² our overall impression of a person influences our judgments or evaluations of their single traits or ability.

For example, if someone is physically attractive, we may tend to assume that they are also intelligent, kind, or talented, even without concrete evidence to support those assumptions.

Read More About Halo Effect Here

9. Availability Heuristic

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that involves ¹³ making judgments or decisions based on the ease with which examples or instances come to mind. People tend to rely on information that is readily available in their memory or easily retrieved when evaluating the probability, likelihood, or frequency of events or situations.

For instance, when asked about the safety of air travel, someone with an available heuristic might recall recent news stories of plane crashes, leading them to overestimate the risks associated with flying, despite statistical evidence indicating otherwise.

10. Optimism Bias

This bias involves overestimating the likelihood ¹⁴ of positive outcomes and underestimating the likelihood of negative outcomes. 

For example, when embarking on a new business venture, individuals may be overly optimistic about their chances of success, downplaying potential risks or challenges they may encounter along the way.

Impact of Different Cognitive Biases on Mental Health

Here are some ways in which different cognitive biases types can affect ¹⁵ mental well-being:

1. Actor-observer bias leads individuals to blame others and external factors for their negative experiences, causing relationship conflicts.
2. Individuals with self-serving bias overly attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors that hinder responsibility and reduce effort. 
3. Confirmation bias reinforces people actively seek information that supports their negative thoughts, leading to a cycle of self-doubt, or low self-esteem.
4. Individuals with hindsight bias may blame themselves excessively for not being able to predict or prevent negative outcomes, leading to feelings of guilt, or regret.
5. Decisions based on anchoring bias and without considering other relevant information, can lead to poor choices or missed opportunities for improvement.
6. The misinformation effect can distort one’s understanding of events or experiences, leading to increased anxiety, restlessness, or feelings of confusion.
7. Availability heuristics lead to distorted perceptions of risks and probabilities which are based on easily accessible or memorable examples.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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