Ever wonder why we think the way we do? Researchers try their best to minimize the effect of bias in experiential and attitudinal studies, yet it’s impossible to remove them completely, well because… we are who we are- human. Bias is not a variable, or rather an extraneous factor (that which affects study results though not taken into consideration) that can easily be removed… essentially because it’s in our system- it’s a part of us! You would be surprised to find out how long the list gets, but to make it simple, I’ve picked out a few that may be of your interest:
Decision Making & Behavioral Biases
1. Bandwagon Effect- The tendency to do (or believe) things because many other people do (or believe) the same: Not as apparent in US, but in Korea, this is quite prevalent, sometimes to an extreme level (i.e. Plastic surgery, Cow disease craze, a national obsession over getting into a top university, etc.)
2. Confirmation Bias- The tendency to search for, or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions: We all like to think that we are right, so we look for ways to justify ourselves.
3. Rosy Retrospection- The tendency to rate past events more positively than they had actually rated them when the event occurred: Do you sometimes reminisce the past and compare it with present, thinking that you were better off then? What about that ex who treated you like garbage, yet you only think about the good times you had with that bastard and convince yourself to think that you miss him?
Social Biases
1. Barnum Effect (or Forer Effect): The tendency to give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically for them, but are in fact vague and general enough to a wide range of people- OK, I have a lot to say about this one; BLOOD TYPES. I can’t even count how many times I’ve told people that there is no empirical research to support such concept. Without some kind of scientific support, it’s only a theory (one that was never even tested in this case) and only a belief. So if you take Barnum Effect into consideration, you soon come to realize that it’s only a mechanism to categorize people just like what race did to us- it does no good! I hear that some are even rejected from a job application process in Japan because they belong to a certain blood type group! Can you believe it? Nobody has control over what blood type they are born with! Anyways, my point is that nobody is superior or inferior because of a blood type. Same goes for those scientifically-unproven personality tests that seem to be so popular on the internet. Ever been surprised at how accurate they come out to be? Duh, it’s because they were meant to be vague and general to work with every type of personality and people.
2. Fundamental Attribution Error- The tendency for people to over-emphasize personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while underemphasizing the role and power of situational influences on the same behavior: So we need to understand how influential situational factors are on the way we behave. It may not be the personality after all, but the situation that’s making you act that way, which could be a reason why we act differently with different people. Perhaps while a friend may view you as extremely friendly and kind, another may consider you indifferent and aloof, which doesn’t mean that you have multiple personalities, but the environmental or personal circumstance that you were in at the time of your interaction with such people.
3. Halo effect: The tendency for a person’s positive or negative traits to “spill over” from one area of their personality to another in others’ perceptions of them- Ever been on a blind date or a first date and brushed him/her off because of that one thing that kept bothering? Was it his ugly hair cut? That chili pepper between her teeth?
4. Self-fulfilling prophecy: The tendency to engage in behaviors that elicit results which will confirm our beliefs: This one can actually be quite beneficial if used properly. It basically means that if you believe in something, you will subconsciously work towards justifying that belief. So yes, it is true that a dream can come true… only if you believe in yourself. :)
Source: www.wikipedia.org- my precious!
© 2009, Tomi. All rights reserved.
