What are the most common cognitive biases?

Our thinking is a rather multifaceted process. We use it to process information based on accumulated knowledge and experience, structure facts, draw conclusions, and make decisions. We trust our brains! However, thinking also can lead to mistakes – they are called cognitive biases. These are some erroneous connections that can prevent us from correctly interpreting certain events.

Our worldview consists of beliefs, ideas, and views that we have developed based on our previous life experiences. And certain distortions can often creep into our thinking. It is not easy to recognize them – they do not differ from ordinary thoughts and, more often than not, are not questioned by us. This is why they are so dangerous! If we do not see the error, then we cannot correct it. And we continue making decisions based on the facts “rigged” by the brain.

Let’s take a look at the most common cognitive biases:

1. Personalization.

“I am the reason for everything.” The neighbor didn’t say hello in the morning – he is probably offended by me. The boss is gloomy for the second day – was my report soo bad?

This distortion forces us to consider any events as the consequences of some of our actions, although there may be a lot of other reasons for them. The neighbor simply did not get enough sleep. And the boss was not in the mood because he had a quarrel with his wife or was criticized by his manager.

2. Reading minds, telepathy.

If it seems to you that you know exactly what the other person is thinking – this is a cognitive mistake. Everything that we assume about other people’s thoughts is only our assumptions, and nothing more. By the way, sometimes we also think to ourselves: “my attitude to something is written on my face – anyone can see it”.

3. Overgeneralization.

Here we are talking about the habit of making global conclusions based on one or two cases. If you often use the words “always”, “never”, “constantly” – then you may have this cognitive distortion.

“You cheat all the time!”, “All teachers are pedantic and boring”, “Rich people never care about others!”.

4. Catastrophization.

Any unpleasant event ends in a real catastrophe, which in turn, will lead to another catastrophe, and everything will end in an absolute nightmare.

“I will not pass this exam, I will be expelled from college and evicted from the dorm, I will stay on the street, I will not be able to find work since I have no degree and I will end my days as this homeless person at the corner.”

5. An overblown sense of duty.

Such that it becomes difficult to bear. “I should”, “I must”, “It is necessary”, “It must be done”.

At the heart of this distortion is the idea of ​​how you and other people should behave. To whom, by the way, do they owe something? Why should you? Usually, there are no answers to these questions. But there are a lot of demands.

“I must always be perfect!”, “My boss must be understanding and professional!”.

6. Negative filter.

Excessive fixation on the bad and viewing any event through a telescope with such a “cloudy” glass. “You didn’t give me flowers – you don’t love me!”. Your boss pointed out your mistake – “I am failing at my job, he must hate me.”

7. Selective perception.

When from the whole variety of information, we only select the pieces that confirm a certain point of view. For example, we read horoscopes with this bias. Or we notice only certain phrases in a letter.

8. Black and white thinking.

Dichotomous thinking forces us to perceive the world from the “either/or” position: good or bad, all or nothing. But in reality, there are a lot of shades and halftones, besides black and white. And everything simply cannot be divided into only two categories.

“Either smart or beautiful”, “His parents will either love me or they will hate me”, “Since they don’t give me a new project, they don’t appreciate me as a specialist.”

9. Exaggeration or understatement.

These errors of thinking lead either to blowing an issue out of proportion or to devaluing any achievements. This usually works at the same time: all the good is downplayed and the bad is bloated to gigantic proportions.

“Since they began to keep records of those who are late for work, now they will monitor us at our desks. They will cut our wages and cancel bonuses. And in general, we will be under surveillance!”, “Well, yes, they gave me a bonus … but such a small one. My skills are not appreciated “

10. Everything will be bad.

“I feel it won’t end well”, “It’s useless.” “Don’t even start.” “Clairvoyance” of this form greatly reduces the likelihood of success in any endeavor.

And people have a lot of such biased thinking patterns. We have listed only the most frequent and basic ones.

Have you noticed something like these biases in your thinking? There you go…

Do you need to get rid of them? Of course! After all, if we make a decision based on an error in the formula, then the answer will also be wrong. Therefore, your negative thoughts need to be subjected to close analysis – this is how automatic thoughts are corrected and even completely changed. This is called cognitive restructuring.

Cognitive biases can also cause depression and anxiety. This is not surprising if you believe negative thoughts without trying to change them. If it is difficult to cope with this on your own, it is worth contacting a psychologist who specializes in a cognitive-behavioral approach. And then cognitive errors will be replaced by constructive beliefs – and this is already a key to having a harmonious life.