Whereas if you were to raise your voice at someone, your boss would attribute that behavior to you (the observer). If he raises his voice at someone, you would probably attribute that behavior to him (the actor). For example, imagine you are in a meeting with your boss. Different Types Of BiasesĪctor-observer bias is a cognitive bias that describes the tendency for people to attribute different behaviors to actors and observers. Because it’s something that we do (judging someone based on how we feel about them) without really thinking about it. For example, the halo effect is an emotional bias. Emotional BiasĮmotional bias, on the other hand, is a judgment that we make using our emotions. For example, the sunk cost fallacy is a cognitive bias because it’s something that we do (judging whether or not to continue investing in something) based on our thoughts about the situation. Cognitive BiasĬognitive biases are judgments that we make using our thinking processes. There are many different types of bias but two broad categories are cognitive biases and emotional biases. They describe cases where we have a preference for something – such as people, places, organizations, etc. These biases are called implicit or unconscious biases. Sometimes you can be biased in ways that you aren’t even aware of. Regardless of whether or not it is rational to do so. For example, the sunk cost fallacy is a cognitive bias that dictates that we are more likely to continue investing in something as long as we have invested so much in the past. EmotionsĮmotions can cause people to be biased as well. Now, if they believe that this is what will be expected of them on the test then it makes sense for them to do so even if they don’t personally take interest in writing such things down. For example, a teacher may give their students an assignment to write down ten facts about the Revolutionary War and its key figures.

Incentives/Norms include things like conformity or social desirability bias which causes people to think and act according to what they believe is expected of them. For example, when you are taking an exam it can be difficult to remember everything that was taught in the semester so any shortcuts may lead you astray. Cognitive LimitationsĬognitive Limitations include things like memory limits or our limited ability to process information. There are three major sources of human error: cognitive limitations, incentives/norms, and emotions (these sometimes overlap). So now that we know what bias means, let’s look at why people are biased in the first place. In psychology and decision-making, however, “bias” has a more specific meaning: it refers to cases where people make systematic decisions that deviate from what is objectively true. For example, you may have a bias towards blue over red because of the color of your favorite shirt or car. 2.2 What is an unconscious or implicit bias?īias, in a general sense, is simply a preference for something.

Actor observer bias example