Bias - when errors are systematic as opposed to random
Cognitive bias -
We interpret things a certain way because that
=s how we process the information.
a particular interpretation....
1) is more accessible, has been primed with other recent information
2) fits better into our existing framework
3) fits with previous associations
Frank & Gilovich (1988)
athletic teams wearing black uniforms were viewed as more aggressive.
Motivational bias -
We interpret things a certain way because that=s how we want them to be.
motivation....
- to be right
- to look good in front of other people
- to be consistent
cognitive dissonance theory:
arousal, distress that people feel when they realize they hold two inconsistent cognitions (beliefs, thoughts).
(cognitions may be the result of behaving in a certain way, and realizing the belief or thought implied by that behavior.)
self perception theory:
When internal cues are unavailable (we don=t know how we feel), we infer our feelings from our behavior, much as we would infer another person=s behavior from his or her behavior.
Ross, Lepper, & Hubbard (1975)
Suicice note study - pits motivational bias against cognitive bias
Even when told Afailure@ feedback was false, subjects persisted in believing that their ability in this task was less than average
hindsight bias (a.k.a. Aknew it all along@ effect, creeping determinism) --
Once an outcome has occurred, we cannot imagine (or have difficulty) believing that it could have happened any other way.
Hindsight: motivational or cognitive bias?