Off the top of my head, the biases I acted out this past week -
Availability bias, where we only consider available information:
For a global market research project, I needed specific information and spent hours googling and browsing the company library website for data on different countries. I only found information for one country so I told my manager I was going to make that a sample case and extrapolate for neighboring countries. A colleague overheard me, and asked if I'd thought of calling up the library researchers. I hadn't (I was new to research projects). I dropped them a line and a day later I had a comprehensive and exhaustive database of information from them. I just needed to ask the experts.
Confirmation bias, where we tend to favor information that confirms our preconceptions:
Extreme celebrity worship (think fasting, self-immolation, sacrifices, building dedicated temples) is a common practice in India. It has been a sore point with me ever since I can remember because I've never looked up to any screen personality and cannot fathom how anyone else can practice such extreme adulation. I have steadfastly refused to watch any movie starring one of India's biggest superstars simply because I don't care for the craze. I smirked when I heard that in his latest movie he (at the age of 60+) is paired with a gorgeous young actress. I sighed when I read that fans were planning to 'bathe' the movie reel and posters in 100s of gallons of milk. 'Crazy', I muttered.Some of my friends implored me to watch the first show with them to understand the mania, but I refused.
Why? How can I be so judgmental when I don't know anything about the actor, his acting, his attitude towards the crowd mania for him...anything at all? Just from what I selectively read/heard about him? That, I realized today is confirmation bias. Perhaps I should go watch that movie after all.
Overconfidence/Optimism Bias:
I was given a new project yesterday. My manager's boss wanted an estimate of when I would have something for initial review and I told my manager "COB Friday". It was Wednesday morning and my manager looked at me in surprise and asked whether it wasn't too short a timeline. I said I knew where to find the market data so I just needed to get some data from engineering. My manager pointed out that I'd need to export and process the market information and that I may not get prompt responses from engineering. I then changed my response to COB Monday. Looking back, I've done this more than once before, only I didn't know it was a habit with me until now.
Social proofing (herding effect), where we accept something because others like us approve of it :
So after last Saturday's class, I told my carpool on the ride home that I was going to start working on the homework the next day. Two of them immediately pooh-poohed the idea and said they were giving themselves free Sundays. Guess what, I followed them. (And lived to regret it, but that's another post.)
Baby Bias, where you trust and like someone because they have a cute baby:
Neighbors who I had walked past without acknowledging for the past many months recently popped out an angelic baby and suddenly I feel like they're family. I smile broadly when we meet in the elevator, we discuss my work and their lives as I gush over the baby and I actually time myself to work hoping I'll run into them.
Okay, I made that last one up. But I'm sure it falls under some category of social bias!
Baby Bias, where you trust and like someone because they have a cute baby:
Neighbors who I had walked past without acknowledging for the past many months recently popped out an angelic baby and suddenly I feel like they're family. I smile broadly when we meet in the elevator, we discuss my work and their lives as I gush over the baby and I actually time myself to work hoping I'll run into them.
Okay, I made that last one up. But I'm sure it falls under some category of social bias!
