This article is part of an ongoing series that began with Fallacies and Cognitive Biases.
The above picture is a detail from "50 Cognitive Biases to be aware of so you can be the very best version of you"
"We easily attribute our personalities to vague statements, even if they can apply to a wide range of people."
This cognitive bias occurs when we interpret the general as the specific. It helps us conserve energy when navigating information-scarce environments.
How do we know when something applies to a lot of people or just to ourselves? That requires a lot of additional information.
How do we know that something is a general attribute and not a specific attribute? This requires conceptual sophistication -- and who is to saw which conceptual framework is the correct one?
We only know what we know. Pattern recognition occurs within the field of the known. The first conclusion that checks off the mental "looks great!" box is accepted so the mind can go on to the next task, which means less-obvious possibilities even in the field of the known will be neglected.
The Forer Effect is an effective way for marketeers to influence many people. Expect it.
Comments
Post a Comment