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Explore cognitive biases.

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Search the library by name, description, or category. These entries are educational starting points for noticing patterns in your own thinking and decisions.

New taxonomy

Browse by cognitive mechanism

179 of 216 canonical entries now have a reviewed v2 family mapping. Ambiguous entries stay unassigned until reviewed.

Memory & retrieval50 reviewed entriesPatterns involving encoding, recall, reconstruction, source memory, and forgetting.Social judgment33 reviewed entriesPatterns involving attribution, conformity, social inference, and judgments about other people.Valuation & choice18 reviewed entriesPatterns involving framing, reference points, gains and losses, option comparison, and preference construction.Attention & information16 reviewed entriesPatterns that affect what gets noticed, sampled, searched for, or omitted from consideration.Belief updating13 reviewed entriesPatterns that shape how evidence, priors, repetition, and existing beliefs change what feels true.Reasoning & flexibility10 reviewed entriesPatterns involving logical errors, problem representation, rigidity, and fixation on familiar tools or solutions.Self & metacognition10 reviewed entriesPatterns involving confidence, self-assessment, introspection, and beliefs about one's own thinking.Perception & patterns8 reviewed entriesPatterns involving perceptual interpretation, agency detection, and seeing structure in ambiguous input.Probability & risk6 reviewed entriesPatterns involving uncertainty, probability estimates, base rates, and perceived risk.Time & commitment4 reviewed entriesPatterns involving temporal preference, persistence, escalation, and commitment dynamics.Future state forecasting3 reviewed entriesPatterns involving predictions about future feelings, preferences, and behavior when current or imagined states are an imperfect guide to the future state.Past & present comparison3 reviewed entriesPatterns that can shape comparisons between remembered past experiences, current experience, and broad judgments of change over time.Retrospective evaluation3 reviewed entriesPatterns where knowing an outcome changes later judgments of predictability, decision quality, blame, or responsibility.

Apophenia

ApopheniaClustering Illusion – when randomness looks like a patternDo you see patterns where none exist? That’s Clustering Illusion – the tendency to overestimate the importance of small streaks, clusters, or runs in large sets of random data.Read entry

ApopheniaIllusory Correlation – when you see a connection that isn’t thereDo you think two events are connected when it’s just coincidence? That’s Illusory Correlation – the tendency to see a relationship between unrelated things.Read entry

ApopheniaPareidolia – when your brain sees patterns that aren’t thereDo you see faces in clouds or hear ‘hidden messages’ in music? That’s pareidolia – the tendency to perceive random images or sounds as meaningful.Read entry

Attribution Bias

Attribution BiasActor-Observer Bias – when you blame circumstances for yourself but personality for othersLate to a meeting? Well, traffic was terrible! Someone else is late? They must be irresponsible.Read entry

Attribution BiasDefensive Attribution – when you blame more as the harm gets worse or feels personalDo you feel a stronger urge to blame someone when an accident is severe or hits close to home?Read entry

Attribution BiasExtrinsic Incentives Bias – when you think others work for rewards, but you work for passionDo you think your colleagues work just for money while you do it out of passion?Read entry

Attribution BiasGroup Attribution Error – when you judge a whole group based on one personDid you meet one rude tourist and assume their entire country is like that?Read entry

Attribution BiasHostile Attribution Bias – when you see hostility even where there is noneDid someone bump into you, and you assume it was on purpose? That’s Hostile Attribution Bias – the tendency to see neutral or accidental actions as intentionally aggressive.Read entry

Attribution BiasIntentionality Bias – when you assume everything is done on purposeDid someone step on your foot, and you assume they did it on purpose?Read entry

Attribution BiasJust-World Hypothesis – when you believe people get what they deserveDo you think poor people are just lazy and rich people earned their success?Read entry

Attribution BiasMoral Luck – when outcomes change blame for otherwise similar choicesResultant Moral Luck describes cases where people judge blame, punishment, or moral responsibility differently because similar actions lead to different outcomes partly outside…Read entry

Attribution BiasPuritanical Bias – when people blame morality instead of circumstancesDo you believe poor people are just lazy?Read entry

Attribution BiasSelf-Serving Bias – when success is yours, but failure is someone else’s faultGot promoted? That’s your talent! Didn’t get promoted? Must be your boss’s bias.Read entry

Attribution BiasUltimate Attribution Error – when you judge an entire group based on a few individualsIf one person from a group does something bad, does that mean they’re all like that?Read entry

Availability Heuristic

Availability HeuristicAnthropocentric Thinking – when everything is judged by human standardsDo you assume animals think and feel just like humans?Read entry

Availability HeuristicAnthropomorphism – when nonhuman systems are read as humanlikeAnthropomorphism is the attribution of humanlike characteristics, intentions, emotions, or mental states to nonhuman agents.Read entry

Availability HeuristicAttentional Bias – when your thoughts control what you seeDo you notice only what’s on your mind? That’s Attentional Bias – the tendency to focus on information related to your current thoughts or concerns while ignoring everything else.Read entry

Availability HeuristicFrequency Illusion – when something new suddenly appears everywhereDid you recently learn about something and now it seems to be everywhere?Read entry

Availability HeuristicImplicit Association – when your brain links things faster than you realizeDo some words or concepts seem to connect faster in your mind than others?Read entry

Availability HeuristicQuantification Bias – when only measurable things seem to matterDo you trust numbers more than anything else? That’s Quantification Bias – the tendency to give more weight to measurable data while ignoring what can’t be easily quantified.Read entry

Availability HeuristicSalience Bias – when the striking overshadows the relevantDo you focus only on the most striking things while ignoring the less noticeable ones?Read entry

Availability HeuristicSelection Bias – when the sample doesn’t reflect realityAre you making conclusions based on a sample that doesn’t represent the whole picture?Read entry

Availability HeuristicSurvivorship Bias – when you only see the winnersDo you think success is just a matter of making the right choices because all you see are winners?Read entry

Availability HeuristicWell-Travelled Road Effect – when familiar routes feel fasterDoes your daily commute feel shorter than a new route of the same distance?Read entry

Belief Perseverance

Belief PerseveranceConservatism Bias – when a probability estimate changes too littleConservatism bias is under-updating a belief: new evidence changes a probability estimate less than a Bayesian benchmark would predict.Read entry

Cognitive Bias

Cognitive BiasAnchoring Effect – when a starting number pulls later estimates toward itAnchoring Effect is the tendency for an initial number or reference value to pull a later numerical judgment toward it, even when the starting point is weak or not very useful.Read entry

Cognitive BiasConfirmation Bias – when a belief shapes how evidence is searched and judgedConfirmation Bias is a broad label for ways an existing belief or hypothesis can influence how information is searched for, interpreted, remembered, or evaluated.Read entry

Cognitive BiasCurse of Knowledge – when what you know distorts what you expect others to knowCurse of Knowledge is a perspective-taking bias: once you know important information, that knowledge can make it harder to judge what a less-informed person knows, notices, or…Read entry

Cognitive BiasDeclinism – when the present is judged against an idealized pastDeclinism is best treated as an umbrella label for broad judgments that conditions have declined relative to an idealized past.Read entry

Cognitive BiasEnd-of-History Illusion – when you think you won’t change anymoreDo you think you’ve reached your final form and won’t change much in the future?Read entry

Cognitive BiasExaggerated Expectation – when reality is always less extreme than you imaginedDid you expect a disaster, but nothing happened? Or thought something would change your life, but it turned out underwhelming?Read entry

Cognitive BiasFundamental Pain Bias – when your pain is real, but others’ seem exaggeratedDo you believe your pain is real and objective, but others are just exaggerating?Read entry

Cognitive BiasHedonic Recall Bias – when satisfied employees think they earn more, and unhappy ones think they earn lessDo you feel satisfied with your salary and think you earn more than you actually do? Or, if you're unhappy, does your salary seem smaller than it really is?Read entry

Cognitive BiasHindsight Bias – when knowing the outcome changes what seemed predictableHindsight bias is the tendency to see an event as more predictable after learning its outcome.Read entry

Cognitive BiasHungry Judge Effect – a famous parole-board finding with an uncertain causeHungry Judge Effect is a popular name for a debated finding from a 2011 study of parole-board decisions.Read entry

Cognitive BiasImpact Bias – when forecasts overstate future emotional reactionsImpact bias is a forecasting error in which people overestimate the intensity or duration of a future emotional reaction.Read entry

Cognitive BiasInformation Bias – when you seek information that won’t change your decisionDo you believe more information always leads to better decisions? That’s Information Bias – the tendency to seek data even when it won’t impact your choice or actions.Read entry

Cognitive BiasMere Exposure Effect – when you like something just because it’s familiarHave you noticed that the more you see something, the more you like it? That’s Mere Exposure Effect – the tendency to prefer things just because they are familiar.Read entry

Cognitive BiasMere Urgency Effect – when ‘urgent’ steals the day from ‘important’The mere urgency effect is our tendency to choose a less important task because it looks urgent, even when the urgency is artificial and the other task has an objectively better…Read entry

Cognitive BiasMoney Illusion – when a bigger number feels like more moneyDo you feel richer when your salary increases, even if prices rise even faster?Read entry

Cognitive BiasMoral Credential Effect – when doing good gives you a pass to do badDo you feel like one good deed gives you a free pass for less ethical behavior?Read entry

Cognitive BiasNon-Adaptive Choice Switching – when one bad experience makes you avoid a good choiceDid you make the right decision, but due to bad luck, you now refuse to make it again?Read entry

Cognitive BiasOmission Bias – when doing nothing feels safer than making a mistakeDo you believe that doing nothing is safer, even if it leads to bad outcomes? That’s Omission Bias – the tendency to view harmful actions as worse than equally harmful inactions.Read entry

Cognitive BiasOptimism Bias – when you believe things will go well, even if the odds say otherwiseDo you believe bad things happen to others, but not to you? That’s Optimism Bias – the tendency to underestimate negative events and overestimate positive outcomes.Read entry

Cognitive BiasOstrich Effect – when you ignore a problem, hoping it will go awayDo you avoid checking your bank balance because you’re afraid of what you’ll see? That’s Ostrich Effect – the tendency to ignore negative information to avoid discomfort.Read entry

Cognitive BiasOutcome Bias – when results change the evaluation of a decisionOutcome bias occurs when knowing the result changes an evaluation of a decision even though the information available when it was made is the same.Read entry

Cognitive BiasPeltzman Effect – when feeling safe makes you take more risksDo you act more recklessly when you feel safe, even though the risk remains? That’s Peltzman Effect – the tendency to offset increased safety by engaging in riskier behavior.Read entry

Cognitive BiasPessimism Bias – when you believe everything will go wrongDo you always expect the worst, even when there’s no real reason to?Read entry

Cognitive BiasPlant Blindness – when you fail to notice the green world around youDo you notice animals, buildings, and cars but overlook trees and flowers?Read entry

Cognitive BiasPresent Bias – when you choose instant rewards over long-term benefitsDo you think, ‘Better a little now than more later’? That’s Present Bias – the tendency to overvalue short-term rewards and underestimate long-term consequences.Read entry

Cognitive BiasPrevention Bias – favoring preventive security controls over detection and responsePrevention Bias is a domain-specific label from experimental research on information-security investment.Read entry

Cognitive BiasPro-Innovation Bias – when new technology seems perfect, and flaws are ignoredDo you believe every new technology is the future while ignoring its flaws?Read entry

Cognitive BiasProbability Matching – when you guess instead of picking the best optionDo you spread your choices across different options, even when one is clearly better?Read entry

Cognitive BiasProjection Bias – when current preferences shape forecasts of future preferencesProjection bias is overprojecting current tastes or temporary states onto future preferences.Read entry

Cognitive BiasProportionality Bias – when big events must have big causesDo you struggle to believe that major events can happen by chance?Read entry

Cognitive BiasRecency Illusion – when you think something is new just because you recently noticed itHave you recently noticed a word, trend, or idea and assumed it’s brand new?Read entry

Cognitive BiasSunk Cost Effect – when past costs influence the next choiceSunk Cost Effect is the tendency for money, time, or effort that cannot be recovered to influence what you choose next, even when the future costs and benefits should be enough…Read entry

Cognitive BiasSurrogation – when a performance measure starts replacing the goalSurrogation is a management-accounting construct in which a performance measure starts to be treated as though it were the strategic objective it was meant to represent.Read entry

Cognitive BiasSystematic Bias – a measurement and statistical concept, not one cognitive biasSystematic bias is a general measurement and statistical concept.Read entry

Cognitive BiasTeleological Bias – when you see purpose where there is noneDo you believe everything happens for a reason?Read entry

Cognitive BiasTurkey Illusion – when you assume stability until disaster strikesDo you assume things will stay the same just because they’ve always been stable?Read entry

Cognitive BiasUnit Bias – when one unit quietly becomes the ‘right’ amountUnit bias is our tendency to treat one available unit as a natural or appropriate amount to consume or use.Read entry

Cognitive BiasValue Selection Bias – choosing supplied numbers instead of constructing the Bayesian answerValue Selection Bias is a narrow reasoning pattern studied in Bayesian diagnostic problems.Read entry

Cognitive BiasWeber–Fechner Law – when small differences in big numbers go unnoticedCan you tell the difference between 1 kg and 2 kg, but not between 101 kg and 102 kg?Read entry

Cognitive BiasWomen Are Wonderful Effect – when women are seen more positively than menDo you think women are naturally kinder, more honest, and caring?Read entry

Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive DissonanceBen Franklin Effect – when doing a favor makes you like someone moreDo you like someone more after doing them a favor?Read entry

Cognitive DissonanceEffort Justification – when hard work makes something seem more valuableDoes something feel more valuable just because you worked hard for it?Read entry

Cognitive DissonanceNormalcy Bias – when you believe nothing bad will happenDo you believe disasters only happen to others, not you?Read entry

Cognitive Rigidity

Cognitive RigidityFunctional Fixedness – when objects can only be used one wayDo you see an object and think it can only be used for its intended purpose?Read entry

Cognitive RigidityLaw of the Instrument – when one tool feels like the answer to everythingWhen you have a hammer, does everything look like a nail? That’s Law of the Instrument – the tendency to over-rely on familiar tools or methods while ignoring better alternatives.Read entry

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation BiasBackfire Effect – when a correction can strengthen a false beliefThe Backfire Effect is a specific outcome in which a correction increases belief in the false claim it was meant to correct.Read entry

Confirmation BiasCongruence Bias – when the test fits one hypothesis but does not separate alternativesCongruence Bias is a narrower hypothesis-testing pattern.Read entry

Confirmation BiasExperimenter’s Bias – when you see only what you expectDo you only notice results that confirm your hypothesis?Read entry

Confirmation BiasObserver-Expectancy Effect – when wanting a result makes it appearDoes a researcher believe in a certain outcome and unconsciously shape the data to fit?Read entry

Confirmation BiasSelective Perception – when you only see what you expectDo you notice only what confirms your expectations while ignoring everything else?Read entry

Conformity Bias

Conformity BiasAssumed Similarity Bias – when you think others are more like you than they really areDo you assume most people think like you?Read entry

Conformity BiasAvailability Cascade – when repeating something enough makes it feel trueThe more you hear an idea, the more true it seems? That’s Availability Cascade – a process where information starts feeling like fact simply because it’s repeated often enough.Read entry

Conformity BiasBandwagon Effect – when you believe or do something just because everyone else doesDid everyone suddenly start wearing weird sneakers – and now you want them too? That’s Bandwagon Effect – the tendency to follow the majority, even without good reasons.Read entry

Conformity BiasCourtesy Bias – when you hide your real opinion to avoid offending othersTold your friend their new haircut looks great, even though you hate it? That’s Courtesy Bias – the tendency to soften your opinion to avoid hurting others’ feelings.Read entry

Conformity BiasGroupshift – when groups make riskier or safer choices than individualsDid your team start off cautious but end up playing it ultra-safe? Or did they go from slightly risky to full-on reckless?Read entry

Conformity BiasGroupthink – when harmony matters more than the right decisionDid everyone in your team agree on a bad idea without questioning it? That’s Groupthink – the tendency to sacrifice critical thinking for group unity and harmony.Read entry

Conformity BiasIngroup Bias – when what’s ‘ours’ is always better than what’s ‘theirs’Do you think your team’s way is the best and anything external isn’t worth considering?Read entry

Conformity BiasOutgroup Favoritism – when other groups seem better than your ownDo you feel like other groups always have it better – their culture, their people, their values?Read entry

Conformity BiasOutgroup Homogeneity Bias – when ‘they’re all the same,’ but ‘we’re all unique’Do you feel like your group is diverse, but other groups are all the same?Read entry

Conformity BiasPygmalion Effect – when others’ expectations shape your success (or failure)Do you perform better when people believe in you?Read entry

Conformity BiasReactance – when being told ‘no’ makes you want to do it even moreDoes being told ‘no’ make you want to do it even more?Read entry

Conformity BiasReactive Devaluation – when an idea seems bad just because of who suggested itDo you reject a good idea just because it came from your opponent?Read entry

Conformity BiasShared Information Bias – when groups focus on what they all know, ignoring new insightsDoes your team spend hours discussing obvious facts while ignoring a crucial detail known only to a few?Read entry

Conformity BiasSocial Comparison Bias – when you favor people who aren’t a threat to your own strengthsDo you hire people who won’t challenge you rather than those who are truly the best?Read entry

Conformity BiasTruth Bias – when you believe people, even when they might be lyingDo you naturally trust what people say? That’s Truth Bias – the tendency to assume information is honest, even without evidence.Read entry

Decision Making

Decision MakingAction Bias – when taking action feels better than doing nothingDo you feel the need to take action, even when waiting would be smarter? That’s Action Bias – the tendency to act in any situation, even when inaction would be more effective.Read entry

Decision MakingAdditive Bias – when you add instead of subtractingDo you think improving something always means adding more?Read entry

Decision MakingAttribute Substitution – when your brain picks an easy answer instead of the right oneWhen faced with a complex question, your brain might unknowingly replace it with an easier one.Read entry

Dynamic Inconsistency

Dynamic InconsistencyHyperbolic Discounting – when the present matters more than the futureDo you promise to start exercising next week, only to push it back when the time comes?Read entry

Egocentric Bias

Egocentric BiasFalse Consensus Effect – when you think everyone agrees with youDo you believe most people share your opinions and choices? That’s False Consensus Effect – the tendency to overestimate how much others agree with you.Read entry

Egocentric BiasFalse Uniqueness Bias – when you think you’re more unique than you areDo you believe your ideas, talents, or projects are one of a kind, while others are just average?Read entry

Egocentric BiasForer (Barnum) Effect – when vague statements feel deeply personalHave you ever read a horoscope or personality test and thought, “This is so me!”Read entry

Egocentric BiasIllusion of Asymmetric Insight – when you think you understand others better than they understand youDo you think you see through people, but they don’t understand you?Read entry

Egocentric BiasIllusion of Control – when you think you have more influence than you doDo you believe your actions influence events that are actually out of your control?Read entry

Egocentric BiasIllusion of Transparency – when you think people can read your mindDo you think others understand your thoughts and emotions as clearly as you do?Read entry

Egocentric BiasIllusion of Validity – when you think your judgments are more accurate than they areDo you believe your judgments are accurate just because the available information fits together well?Read entry

Egocentric BiasIllusory Superiority – when you think you’re better than most peopleDo you think you drive better than the average driver? Or that your decisions are more rational than most people’s?Read entry

Egocentric BiasNaïve Cynicism – when you think others are more selfish than youDo you believe that people act selfishly while your own actions are purely rational and fair?Read entry

Egocentric BiasNaïve Realism – when you think you see the world as it really isDo you believe your views are based on objective facts, while those who disagree are simply misinformed or biased?Read entry

Egocentric BiasOverconfidence Effect – when you're sure, but still wrongDo you say you’re 99% sure about something, only to find out you were wrong?Read entry

Egocentric BiasPlanning Fallacy – when plans make completion times look too optimisticPlanning Fallacy is the tendency to predict that your own task or project will finish sooner than it actually does, even when similar work has taken longer before.Read entry

Egocentric BiasRestraint Bias – when calm us overestimates future self-controlRestraint bias is our tendency to overestimate how well we can control impulses, especially when the temptation or visceral state is not active yet.Read entry

Egocentric BiasThird-Person Effect – when you think media influences others, but not youDo you believe that advertising, propaganda, or news influence others, but not you?Read entry

Extension Neglect

Extension NeglectBase Rate Fallacy – when you ignore general statistics for a specific caseDo you trust vivid examples more than dry statistics?Read entry

Extension NeglectCompassion Fade – when one victim moves you more than a thousandDo you feel more moved by the story of one child in need than by statistics about millions suffering?Read entry

Extension NeglectConjunction Fallacy – when a specific scenario seems more likely than a general oneDo detailed stories seem more likely than simple ones?Read entry

Extension NeglectDuration Neglect – when the ending matters more than the experienceDoes a long enjoyable experience feel no better than a short one if it ended badly?Read entry

Extension NeglectInsensitivity to Sample Size – when small samples mislead youDo you make conclusions based on just a few examples, assuming they reflect reality?Read entry

Extension NeglectLess-Is-Better Effect – when less looks better because the comparison is missingThe less-is-better effect appears when we evaluate a smaller or objectively lower-value option more positively because an easier contextual cue makes it look better, especially…Read entry

Extension NeglectScope Neglect – when 2,000 and 20,000 victims feel the sameWould you pay the same amount to help 2,000 people as you would for 20,000?Read entry

Extension NeglectZero-Risk Bias – when eliminating a small risk feels better than reducing a big oneDo you prefer eliminating a small risk entirely rather than significantly reducing a bigger one?Read entry

False Priors

False PriorsAgent Detection Bias – when you see intention behind randomnessDo you feel like strange events happen for a reason, as if someone is behind them?Read entry

False PriorsAutomation Bias – when automated advice replaces independent checkingAutomation Bias is the tendency to let automated cues or recommendations replace vigilant information seeking and verification.Read entry

False PriorsGender Bias – when gender shapes expectationsDo you assume engineers are mostly men and teachers are mostly women?Read entry

False PriorsSexual Perception Bias – when you misread romantic signalsDo you think someone is flirting when they’re just being polite? Or do you miss obvious signals of interest?Read entry

False PriorsStereotyping – when you judge a person based on their groupDo you think programmers are introverted and athletes aren’t smart?Read entry

Framing Effect

Framing EffectContext Neglect Bias – when technology forgets about peopleDo you build complex systems without considering how real people will use them?Read entry

Framing EffectDecoy Effect – when an inferior option changes the comparison between better optionsDecoy Effect is a context effect in which adding an inferior option can increase the choice share of another option.Read entry

Framing EffectDefault Effect – when a pre-selected option changes what people chooseDefault Effect is the tendency for people to choose an option more often when it is already selected or happens automatically if they do nothing.Read entry

Framing EffectDenomination Effect – when the shape of money changes our willingness to spend itThe denomination effect is a tendency to spend equivalent amounts differently depending on how the money is divided.Read entry

Framing EffectDistinction Bias – when comparison makes small differences look importantDistinction bias is our tendency to overpredict how much some differences between options will matter when we compare the options side by side.Read entry

Framing EffectDomain Neglect Bias – when you ignore relevant knowledge from other fieldsDo you think you can run a business without understanding human psychology?Read entry

Framing EffectFraming Effect – when equivalent descriptions lead to different choicesFraming Effect is the tendency for a judgment or choice to change when the same underlying information is described in different ways.Read entry

Heuristic Bias

Heuristic BiasAvailability Heuristic – when easy-to-recall examples shape frequency judgmentsAvailability Heuristic is the use of how easily examples or scenarios come to mind as one cue for judging how common or likely something is.Read entry

Human-Robot Interaction

Human-Robot InteractionAppearance–Capability Expectation – when a robot’s design changes what you expect it can doAppearance–Capability Expectation is this project’s plain-language label for a human–robot interaction pattern, not a standardized bias name.Read entry

Information Bias

Information BiasCommon Source Bias – when everyone repeats the same thingYou watch the news, read blogs, study research – and everywhere you see the same thing?Read entry

Logical Fallacy

Logical FallacyBerkson’s Paradox – when two things seem connected, but they aren’tDoes it seem like successful people are less kind because there aren’t many kind, successful people?Read entry

Logical FallacyEscalation of Commitment – when setbacks lead to more investment in the same courseEscalation of Commitment is the pattern of continuing or increasing investment in a course of action after negative results make stopping or changing direction worth serious…Read entry

Logical FallacyGambler’s Fallacy – when you think the past changes the future oddsDo you think that after flipping five heads in a row, tails is ‘due’ to happen next?Read entry

Logical FallacyHot-Hand Fallacy – when you think winning increases your chances of winning againDid you make three shots in a row and now feel like the fourth is more likely to go in?Read entry

Logical FallacyPlan Continuation Bias – when you stick to the plan even when the situation has changedHave you ever stuck to a route even after realizing there’s a shorter path?Read entry

Logical FallacyTime-Saving Bias – when speed tricks your sense of timeDo you think increasing speed from 80 to 100 km/h saves a lot of time, while 20 to 40 km/h barely makes a difference?Read entry

Logical FallacyZero-Sum Bias – when we see competition where gains can coexistZero-sum bias is our tendency to treat a non-zero-sum situation as if every gain for one side must create a matching loss for another. Sometimes resources really are fixed.Read entry

Memory Bias

Memory BiasBizarreness Effect – when weird things stick in memory better than ordinary onesDo you remember a person in a banana costume better than one in a regular suit?Read entry

Memory BiasBoundary Extension – when your memory ‘zooms out’ beyond what you actually sawDo you look at a photo and later recall seeing more details than were actually there?Read entry

Memory BiasChildhood Amnesia – why we forget our earliest yearsCan you remember your third birthday? Probably not. That’s Childhood Amnesia – the natural inability to retain memories from the first few years of life.Read entry

Memory BiasConservatism Bias – when your memory downplays extremesDo you remember heavy rain, but in reality, it was a full-blown storm?Read entry

Memory BiasConsistency Bias – when you believe you’ve always thought the way you do nowAre you convinced you’ve always supported healthy living, but ten years ago you ate fast food daily?Read entry

Memory BiasContext Effect – when memories depend on where and how you recall themDid you forget what you wanted to say but instantly remember once you walk back into the same room?Read entry

Memory BiasContinued Influence Effect – when corrected information still shapes reasoningThe Continued Influence Effect happens when false or outdated information still affects later reasoning after a person has been told that it is wrong.Read entry

Memory BiasCross-Race Effect – when faces of other races seem harder to tell apartDo faces of people from other races seem more similar to you, while faces within your own group are easier to distinguish?Read entry

Memory BiasCryptomnesia – when you think you came up with something new, but it’s actually an old memoryDid you come up with a brilliant idea, only to realize you’d heard it before?Read entry

Memory BiasEgocentric Bias – when your past seems better than it really wasDo you remember getting straight A’s, but your report card says otherwise? That’s Egocentric Bias – the tendency to exaggerate past achievements and downplay failures.Read entry

Memory BiasEuphoric Recall – when the past feels better than it really wasDo you remember college as the best time of your life but forget the sleepless nights before exams?Read entry

Memory BiasFading Affect Bias – when negative emotional intensity tends to fade fasterFading Affect Bias is an average pattern in autobiographical memory: the emotional intensity linked to negative events tends to weaken faster over time than the emotional…Read entry

Memory BiasFalse Memory – when you ‘remember’ something that never happenedAre you sure you’ve been to a place as a child, but your parents insist you never were?Read entry

Memory BiasGender Differences in Eyewitness Memory – when you recall details better about people of your own genderDo you recall faces and clothing details better when they belong to someone of your own gender?Read entry

Memory BiasGeneration Effect – when you remember things better if you created them yourselfDo you remember jokes you made up better than ones you heard?Read entry

Memory BiasGoogle Effect – when you forget what you can easily look up onlineCan you remember your door code but not your friend’s phone number? That’s Google Effect – the tendency to forget information when you know it can be easily found online.Read entry

Memory BiasHumor Effect – when funny things stick in your memoryDo you remember the professor’s joke but not the lesson itself? That’s Humor Effect – the tendency to remember funny things better than neutral or boring ones.Read entry

Memory BiasLag Effect – learning sticks better when spaced out over timeThink cramming all night will help you remember? And then you forget everything the next day?Read entry

Memory BiasLeveling and Sharpening – when some details fade and others get exaggeratedDo you tell a story, and each time it gets more vivid, but some details vanish?Read entry

Memory BiasLevels-of-Processing Effect – how you learn determines how well you rememberDid you read a textbook but remember nothing, while the topic you explained to a friend stuck?Read entry

Memory BiasList-Length Effect – the longer the list, the less you recall… but the more you retainDo you remember a higher percentage of items from a short list than from a long one, but still retain more overall from the longer list?Read entry

Memory BiasMemory Inhibition – when remembering some things makes you forget othersDid you recall part of a list, but the rest vanished from memory? That’s Memory Inhibition – when recalling certain items makes it harder to retrieve others.Read entry

Memory BiasMisinformation Effect – when false details alter your memoriesDo you swear you saw something at an event, even though it wasn’t there? That’s Misinformation Effect – when memory becomes less accurate due to false details added later.Read entry

Memory BiasModality Effect – you remember the last items better when you hear themDo you remember the last words of a speaker better than the last lines of a book?Read entry

Memory BiasMood-Congruent Memory Bias – you remember what matches your moodWhen you’re sad, do you recall all your failures? And when you're happy, only the best moments?Read entry

Memory BiasNegativity Bias – when bad memories stick stronger than good onesCan you recall one hurtful comment from years ago but forget all the compliments you’ve received?Read entry

Memory BiasNext-in-Line Effect – when you don’t remember what was said right before your turnDo you rehearse your speech in your head instead of listening to the person speaking before you?Read entry

Memory BiasPart-List Cueing Effect – when recalling one item makes others harder to rememberStruggling to recall a to-do list, but the more you remember, the harder it gets to retrieve the rest?Read entry

Memory BiasPeak–End Rule – you judge experiences by their most intense moment and the endingDo you remember a trip as amazing, even though most of it was boring, just because it had a magical ending?Read entry

Memory BiasPersistence – when traumatic memories keep coming backTrying to forget a painful event, but it keeps coming back? That’s Persistence – when the brain forces us to relive traumatic memories even when we want to move on.Read entry

Memory BiasPicture Superiority Effect – images stick in memory better than wordsCan you remember a person’s face faster than their name? Or a company’s logo but not its slogan?Read entry

Memory BiasPositivity Effect – as we age, we remember more good than badEver noticed that older people recall happy moments more than tough times?Read entry

Memory BiasPrimacy Effect – you remember the first items bestDo you recall the first items on a list but struggle with the middle? That’s Primacy Effect – information presented first is remembered better than what comes later.Read entry

Memory BiasRecency Effect – the last things stick in memory bestDo you remember the last words of a conversation but forget the middle? That’s Recency Effect – the most recent items or events are remembered better than those before them.Read entry

Memory BiasReminiscence Bump – your youth stands out in memoryWhy do you vividly recall your first parties, first job, or first love but not recent events?Read entry

Memory BiasRosy Retrospection – when a past experience is remembered more positivelyRosy Retrospection is a pattern in which a past experience can be evaluated more positively in later memory than it was evaluated while it was happening.Read entry

Memory BiasSaying Is Believing Effect – when you start believing what you sayHave you ever adjusted a story to fit your audience, only to later believe that version yourself?Read entry

Memory BiasSelf-Relevance Effect – you remember things better when they relate to youDo you easily recall stories you were part of but forget those about others?Read entry

Memory BiasSerial Position Effect – you remember the first and last, but forget the middleDo you clearly remember how a lecture started and ended, but the middle feels blurry?Read entry

Memory BiasSocial Cryptomnesia – when you remember change but forget who fought for itDo you enjoy rights and freedoms but can’t recall who fought for them?Read entry

Memory BiasSource Confusion – when you remember information but forget where it came fromDo you remember a fact but can’t recall whether you read it in a research paper or a social media comment?Read entry

Memory BiasStereotype Bias – memory distorts facts to fit expectationsAre you sure you saw a female secretary and a male boss, even though it was the other way around?Read entry

Memory BiasSuffix Effect – the last thing is harder to recall if something follows itCan you easily recall the last word in a list, but if something follows it, it disappears?Read entry

Memory BiasSuggestibility – when you ‘remember’ things just because someone suggested themDid someone ask, ‘Do you remember getting lost in a store as a child?’ and now you’re convinced it happened?Read entry

Memory BiasTelescoping Effect – recent events feel distant, and distant ones feel recentAre you convinced that a movie from two years ago just came out yesterday? Or that a recent event happened much longer ago?Read entry

Memory BiasTesting Effect – self-testing beats passive repetitionDo you reread textbooks repeatedly but still forget the material? Try testing yourself!Read entry

Memory BiasThe Perky Effect – when reality blends with imaginationDid you vividly imagine skydiving and later wonder if it actually happened?Read entry

Memory BiasTip of the Tongue Phenomenon – when you know a word but just can’t recall itYou KNOW the word, it’s right there… but you just can’t say it? That’s Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon – when you partially recall something but can’t fully retrieve it.Read entry

Memory BiasVerbatim Effect – you remember the gist, not the exact wordsDo you remember what a conversation was about, but not the exact words? That’s Verbatim Effect – our brain stores the general meaning of messages rather than their precise wording.Read entry

Memory BiasVon Restorff Effect – the odd one out is easiest to rememberCan you forget a long list but remember the one strange word in it? That’s Von Restorff Effect – our brain remembers what stands out the most.Read entry

Memory BiasZeigarnik Effect – unfinished tasks stay on your mindDo unfinished tasks keep running through your mind? That’s Zeigarnik Effect – the brain remembers incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones.Read entry

Metacognitive Bias

Metacognitive BiasG.I. Joe Fallacy – when you think knowing a bias makes you immune to itDo you think that just knowing about cognitive biases makes you immune to them? That’s G. I. Joe Fallacy – the belief that awareness of a bias is enough to eliminate its effects.Read entry

Perception Bias

Perception BiasTachypsychia – when time slows down or speeds up in extreme situationsHave you ever felt like time slowed down in a moment of danger? Or that it flew by when you were deeply focused?Read entry

Perception BiasTravis Syndrome – when the present seems more significant than any other timeDo you feel like we’re living through the most important time in history?Read entry

Probability Bias

Probability BiasSubadditivity Effect – when unpacking changes probability estimatesThe subadditivity effect occurs when separate estimates for parts of an event add up to more than the estimate for the same event described as one category.Read entry

Prospect Theory

Prospect TheoryAmbiguity Effect – when you avoid the unknown, even if it might be betterDo you avoid trying a new restaurant because there are no reviews, even though it might be better?Read entry

Prospect TheoryDisposition Effect – when you sell winners but cling to losersDo you sell stocks that have gained value but hold onto losing ones, hoping they’ll recover?Read entry

Prospect TheoryDread Aversion – when fearing the worst is worse than the event itselfDo you stress over an upcoming exam more than you actually suffer during it?Read entry

Prospect TheoryEndowment Effect – when what’s yours feels more valuableWould you sell something only for much more than you’d be willing to pay for it? That’s Endowment Effect – the tendency to overvalue things just because you own them.Read entry

Prospect TheoryLoss Aversion – when a loss can carry more weight than an equivalent gainLoss Aversion is the idea that, relative to a reference point, a loss can receive more subjective weight than an equivalent gain.Read entry

Prospect TheoryPseudocertainty Effect – when you avoid risk in gains but chase it in lossesDo you prefer a guaranteed win but take risks to avoid losses? That’s Pseudocertainty Effect – the tendency to be cautious when things are good but take risks when things go bad.Read entry

Prospect TheoryStatus Quo Bias – when the current option gets extra weight because it is already in placeStatus Quo Bias is a tendency to favour the current option more than we would if the same options were presented without one already being in place.Read entry

Prospect TheorySystem Justification – when you defend the system, even if it harms youDo you believe that if something has been around for a long time, it must be good?Read entry

Self-Assessment

Self-AssessmentDunning–Kruger Effect – when performance and self-assessment do not line upThe Dunning–Kruger Effect describes a pattern found in some self-assessment tasks: lower performers can overestimate their performance more than higher performers do.Read entry

Self-AssessmentHard–Easy Effect – when hard tasks seem easier and easy tasks seem harderDo you think you’ll learn a new language in a month but doubt you can pass a simple test?Read entry

Self-AssessmentHot–Cold Empathy Gap – when one state is a poor guide to choices in anotherThe Hot–Cold Empathy Gap is the difficulty of predicting preferences, behavior, or experience across different visceral or affective states.Read entry

Self-AssessmentIllusion of Explanatory Depth – when you think you understand until you have to explainDo you think you understand how a fridge works but struggle to explain what happens inside?Read entry

Self-AssessmentImpostor Syndrome – when you fear being ‘exposed’ as a fraudDo you achieve success but still feel like you're just faking it?Read entry

Self-AssessmentObjectivity Illusion – when you believe you’re unbiased, unlike everyone elseDo you believe you see things as they truly are, while others are biased?Read entry

Self-Assessment Bias

Self-Assessment BiasPlacement Bias – you either overrate or underrate yourselfDo you see yourself as better than others at things you’re good at, and worse than others at things you struggle with?Read entry

Self-Assessment BiasWorse-Than-Average Effect – when you assume you're worse than others at difficult tasksDo you assume everyone else is better than you at difficult tasks?Read entry

Self-Perception Bias

Self-Perception BiasSpotlight Effect – you think everyone is watching, but they’re notForgot to button your shirt and feel like everyone noticed? Said something awkward and now think it’s all anyone remembers?Read entry

Truth Judgment

Truth JudgmentBelief Bias – when you judge logic based on whether you agree with the conclusionDo you only find arguments convincing when their conclusion aligns with your beliefs?Read entry

Truth JudgmentIllusory Truth Effect – when repetition makes a claim feel more trueThe Illusory Truth Effect is the tendency for repeated claims to receive higher truth ratings than comparable new claims.Read entry

Truth JudgmentRhyme as Reason Effect – when something feels true just because it rhymesDo phrases like ‘If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit’ sound more convincing just because they rhyme?Read entry

Truth JudgmentSubjective Validation – when something feels true because you want it to beDo you read a horoscope and think, ‘That’s so me!’Read entry