Memory Biases
Availability cascade
A repeated claim starts to feel true because many people repeat it.
Example: A rumor about layoffs feels true after enough coworkers repeat it.
Ask: Can I trace this back to a solid original source?
Go DeeperSituation Guide
Thinking Traps Online
Thinking traps that show up in social media, comment sections, viral claims, screenshots, and online arguments.
Belief and Reasoning Biases
Illusory truth effect
Repeated statements feel more true.
Example: A false claim starts to sound true after repeated posts.
Ask: Have I mistaken repetition for evidence?
Go DeeperSocial Biases
Bandwagon effect
Believing or doing something because many others do.
Example: A product seems trustworthy because everyone online is buying it.
Ask: Would I still choose this alone?
Go DeeperDecision-Making Biases
Confirmation bias
Seeking or favoring information that supports what you already believe.
Example: Someone searches only for reviews that defend the phone they already want.
Ask: What evidence would change my mind?
Go DeeperBelief and Reasoning Biases
Confirmation bias
Favoring evidence that supports existing beliefs.
Example: Someone searches only for reviews that defend the phone they already want.
Ask: What is the best opposing evidence?
Go DeeperProbability and Statistical Biases
Confirmation bias
Data is interpreted to support an existing belief.
Example: Someone searches only for reviews that defend the phone they already want.
Ask: What analysis would challenge the belief?
Go DeeperSocial Biases
Hostile attribution bias
Interpreting ambiguous behavior as hostile.
Example: A short text reply is read as rude instead of rushed.
Ask: What benign explanation also fits?
Go DeeperSocial Biases
Naive realism
Believing you see reality plainly and others are biased.
Example: A person thinks they see the issue plainly while opponents must be misinformed.
Ask: What assumptions shape my view?
Go DeeperMoral, Political, and Workplace Biases
Moral outrage bias
Letting outrage become its own reward.
Example: Sharing anger online starts to feel like meaningful action.
Ask: Is outrage helping or replacing action?
Go DeeperSocial Biases
Third-person effect
Thinking media affects others more than it affects you.
Example: A person says ads influence other people, not them.
Ask: How might this influence me too?
Go DeeperMemory Biases
Availability heuristic
Judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind.
Example: After watching several stories about shark attacks, a beach trip suddenly feels much more dangerous.
Ask: Is this common, or just vivid and easy to remember?
Go DeeperMemory Biases
Negativity bias
Giving negative memories more weight than positive ones.
Example: One critical comment overshadows a whole page of praise.
Ask: Am I counting the full evidence or only the painful parts?
Go DeeperMemory Biases
Leveling and sharpening
Dropping some details while exaggerating others in retelling.
Example: A messy vacation story becomes simpler and more dramatic each time it is told.
Ask: What has been simplified out of the story?
Go DeeperMemory Biases
Primacy effect
Letting early information shape later judgment.
Example: A rough first impression colors every later interaction with a new coworker.
Ask: What if I learned the facts in a different order?
Go DeeperMemory Biases
Bizarreness effect
Unusual information becomes especially memorable.
Example: A strange classroom example sticks while the main lesson fades.
Ask: Did the strange detail distract from the main point?
Go DeeperDecision-Making Biases
Optimism bias
Overestimating the chance of good outcomes.
Example: A team assumes launch will be smooth because they really want it to be.
Ask: What could realistically go wrong?
Go DeeperDecision-Making Biases
Pessimism bias
Overestimating the chance of bad outcomes.
Example: One awkward meeting convinces someone the whole partnership will fail.
Ask: What evidence supports a less severe outcome?
Go DeeperDecision-Making Biases
Certainty effect
Overvaluing outcomes that feel guaranteed.
Example: A guaranteed small coupon feels better than a likely larger discount.
Ask: Is certainty worth the tradeoff?
Go DeeperQuick FAQ
What are thinking traps online?
Thinking traps that show up in social media, comment sections, viral claims, screenshots, and online arguments.
How do I spot one quickly?
Look for the moment a conclusion feels obvious before the evidence, context, or opposite explanation has been checked.
What should I ask instead?
Ask what information is missing, what would change your mind, and whether the strongest counterexample has been considered.