Cognitive Bias - Abhishek Chakraborty (Page 2)

Halo Effect: You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

If you are lazy yet smart, try projecting your smartness before your laziness comes to light.

The Ostrich Effect: Ignoring Bad News Doesn’t Make Them Go Away

In an experiment, researchers wired people up to discover how they might really respond to financially stressful situations. They found people who are highly anxious about their finances tend to ignore potential money problems and may be less likely to ask for help or look for a solution.

The Fresh Start Effect: How to Use New Beginnings to Persuade People

Between Dec 28th and Jan 5th I’ve been getting daily emails from Headspace (the meditation app) to get on with their premium plan at a 40% discount. I’ve also been getting calls from that one Pilates class I had taken almost a year back. They are generous enough to offer me a 25% lifetime discount,

Contrast Effect: Why You Should Hang Out More With Your Ugly Friends

Recently my girlfriend finished reading the Harry Potter series. She read the books back to back, page after page, one after other. Immediately after finishing the last book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,) she picked up Six of Crows. But she some how found this book a bit hard to follow in t

Authority Bias: Too Much Obedience Makes You Do Stupid Things

In their book Medication Errors: Causes and Prevention, professors Michael Cohen and Neil Davis talk about a strange case of the “rectal earache”. A physician ordered ear drops to be administered to the right ear of a patient suffering from pain and infection. Instead of writing out completely “Righ

Multiple Source Effect: Why Three Examples Are Better Than One

If most of the news channels you watch say the same thing, for e.g. why the next candidate is the best, you are highly likely to believe it. You are heavily influenced by which news channels you watch, and how many news channels you watch.

You Don’t Understand Probability

Let’s say you are considering putting money into a bet of $1,000. It’s a coin toss. The expected outcome of the bet, i.e., the probabilities of each payoff multiplied by the dollar values at stake is $1,000 (i.e., 50% x $0 + 50% x $2,000). Can you visualise owning $1,000?

The Aesthetic-Usability Effect: Why Beautiful-Looking Products are Preferred Over Usable-But-Not-So-Beautiful Ones

Aesthetic designs, in general, look easier to use and have a higher probability of being used, whether or not they actually are easier to use. Whereas, more usable but less-aesthetic designs may suffer a lack of acceptance that renders issues of usability debates.