Memory Biases

Availability heuristic

Judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind.

What Is Availability heuristic?

Availability heuristic is a thinking trap where judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind.

How It Tricks You

It can make a reconstructed memory feel like a clean recording.

Real-World Example

After watching several stories about shark attacks, a beach trip suddenly feels much more dangerous.

Seen Online As

• I keep seeing stories about this, so it must be happening everywhere.
• That clip is all I can think about, so it feels like the normal case.
• It happened to someone I know, so the risk feels huge.

What To Ask Instead

Is this common, or just vivid and easy to remember?

Related Thinking Traps

• Availability cascade
• Recency bias
• Peak-end rule
• Rosy retrospection

Common Situations

• Thinking Traps Online
• Thinking Traps with AI Prompts

Quick FAQ

What is Availability heuristic?

Judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind.

What is an example of Availability heuristic?

After watching several stories about shark attacks, a beach trip suddenly feels much more dangerous.

How do I spot Availability heuristic?

Is this common, or just vivid and easy to remember?