Comics that make you laugh and reflect on the absurdity of human behavior
[Intermediate] Do you know your biases ?
Which bias is illustrated in this cartoon?
The woman (falsely) thinks everybody wets their toothbrush the same way she does: she is experiencing the False consensus effect. We tend to overestimate the number of people who think and act the way we do because we spend time with people who share similar values, and we consume media that aligns with our world view. This can be accentuated by social echo chambers. Oveconfidence bias is a tendency to overestimate our ability in a certain area. Social desirability bias makes us act in a way we think is more socially acceptable, even though it does not reflect our real preferences.
Which bias does this cartoon illustrate?
The right response was Anchoring Bias ! The little boy "anchored" Nasser to a very high price ($300), giving him the impression that he is getting a bargain ($20 final price). It is a widespread marketing technique. The Illusory Truth Effect also has to do with marketing. It is when a message is repeated many times, you start to feel like it is true... Now imagine if everyone had a sticker that said which bias they have on their forehead ???? you would not see yours and therefore would think you are "clean". That's the Blindspot Bias.
The word "backfire" should have given you a hint ! In the cartoon, the farmer pulls the cow's leash but it pulls in the opposite direction. That's the Backfire Effect. Honestly, the same thing happens when you talk to an anti-vaxxer: the more arguments you give them, the more strongly they believe in their conspiracy theories... False Consensus is when you think everyone thinks like you. Choice Supportive Bias is lying to yourself after making a purchase you might regret.
For the stickermen, the most salient moments are the end of the rollercoaster, and the loop. In real life, the moments that have the most impact on a patient's memory are the peak of a medical intervention (the most painful part) and the end of it. This is called the Peak-end rule. Anchoring is relying on an initial piece of information to make a judgement. The Sunk cost fallacy happens when your decisions are tainted by the emotional investment you already put in a project.
Which bias does this cartoon illustrate ?
When a piece of information comes from our own social circle, we put more trust in it than otherwise. This effect is called the Social echo chamber - there are many discussions about the role of social media in perpetuating this bias. Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to seek only information that confirms our opinions. Focalism is when we put too much weight on a detail when making a prediction.
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