What is Illusory Correlation? Illusory correlation is when our brains think two things are connected, but they’re really not. To put it another way, imagine your brain is like a detective that sometimes comes to the wrong conclusions, thinking it has found a pattern when there is none. This can happen even if there is no evidence to support the connection. It’s like seeing a shape in t... »
What is the Illusion Of Asymmetric Insight? The Illusion of Asymmetric Insight is like believing you have a superpower to understand people’s true selves and feelings, while thinking that no one can do the same to you. To put it in simpler terms, it’s like you have a magic ability to read everyone’s secret thoughts and emotions, but you believe your own thoughts and emotions are ... »
What is the Ikea Effect? The Ikea Effect is an interesting brain trick that happens to many of us. Think of it this way: if you spend a couple of hours putting together a chair from a box of parts, you’re going to love that chair more than one you just picked out at a store already made. Even if a professional furniture builder could have done a better job, it doesn’t matter to you. Yo... »
What is Hindsight Bias? Hindsight bias is like thinking you knew the answers to a mystery book just because you read the last page. This bias tricks us into believing we predicted an outcome when, in fact, we didn’t. For example, consider someone who ends up acing a test but didn’t study much. After seeing their high score, they might say, “I knew the material better than I thoug... »
What is Halo Effect? Let’s start with two ways to explain the Halo Effect. First, picture someone who’s great at something – say they can paint incredible pictures. You might start to think they’re also generous, funny, and organized, even if you don’t know them well. It’s like their talent in painting makes them glow, and that glow makes everything else about them se... »
What is Groupthink? Groupthink is when people in a group value harmony and agreement over making good choices or being creative. Imagine a music band where everyone plays the same note because they think that’s what they should do to get along, even if it makes the song sound boring. Groupthink can cause this kind of thinking, where nobody wants to suggest playing different notes. Another wa... »
What is Gender Bias? Gender bias means treating someone differently and unfairly because of their gender – like thinking boys are better at sports or girls are not as good at science without any real proof. It’s when your mind makes a snap decision about someone based on whether they’re a boy or a girl, not on who they are or what they can do. A simple way to think of gender bias... »
What is Gambler’s Fallacy? The Gambler’s Fallacy is like thinking there’s a balance in luck. Imagine you flip a coin and it lands on heads five times. The Gambler’s Fallacy is the mistaken belief that tails is now more likely to happen next time, because “it’s tails’ turn.” But actually, each flip is completely independent – the coin doesn’t ha... »
What is Fundamental Attribution Error? Fundamental Attribution Error sounds complicated, but it’s really just a mistake we make about people. Here’s a simple way to understand it: Suppose you see a person bump into someone by accident and you think, “They’re not paying attention!” But what if they were pushed by someone else and had no choice? Here’s where we ge... »
What is the Framing Effect? Have you ever heard two friends describe the same event but in completely different ways? One may say it was exciting, while the other found it scary. This is because each person has ‘framed’ the story in their own way. The Framing Effect is similar—it’s when your choices or opinions change depending how information is presented to you. To explain it s... »