Cognitive Biases
I’m so excited for this topic, because today we’re looking at Cognitive Biases.
This is how our brains can trick us into certain beliefs and behaviours. Learn about things like the Sunk Cost Fallacy, Loss Aversion, Confirmation Bias, and more!
We’ll be talking about examples of how these things can affect our views and beliefs, as well as how you can use these to become better English learners.
Share your views and comments down below! If I get good feedback, I’d love to make a Part 2 in the future.
5 Ways to Outsmart Your Brain
1. Sunk Cost Fallacy
= Continuing something because you’ve already put time, money, or effort into it, even if it’s not worth it anymore.
Example: Watching a bad movie to the end just because you paid for the ticket.
Sunk: Something that is already spent and can’t be recovered.
2. Loss Aversion
= Hating to lose things more than loving to gain things.
Example: Not selling a stock that’s going down in value because you don’t want to admit the loss.
Aversion: A strong dislike or wanting to avoid something.
3. Confirmation Bias
= Only noticing or believing information that supports what you already think.
Example: Believing in astrology and ignoring any evidence that shows it’s not real.
Bias: A preference or inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.
4. The Framing Effect
= Reacting differently to the same information depending on how it is presented.
Example: Thinking a surgery is safer when told it has a 90% survival rate rather than a 10% death rate.
To Frame: To present information in a certain way.
5. Cognitive Dissonance
= Feeling uncomfortable because you have conflicting thoughts or beliefs, leading you to change one to feel better.
Example: Knowing smoking is bad for your health but doing it anyway, so you convince yourself it’s not that harmful.
Dissonance: A lack of agreement or harmony between things.
Can you think of any examples of how these affect your own life?
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Thanks for the insight. Hopefully you’ll address the points you slipped this time for the lack of it. Look forward to more of the topic especially if you enjoy talking about it. It didn’t feel like rambling at all👌
So pleased you didn’t feel like I was rambling! haha
Hi Michael,
I would like to thank you for making such enlightening, useful expressions, vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and so on.
So resently I put toe into your podcast.
I find part GENERATIONS gave me kick
Definetly I’ll gontinue with you!
BW Irma
Thanks, Irma! Hope you’re continuing to listen and enjoy