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10 Mental Concepts To Make You Smarter:
Recency Illusion
The belief that things you have noticed only recently are in fact recent—or have only just come into existence
"Whoa, that's new to me. It must be new to the world!"
When we think something is new, we treat it as new, and therefore miss important context
The belief that things you have noticed only recently are in fact recent—or have only just come into existence
"Whoa, that's new to me. It must be new to the world!"
When we think something is new, we treat it as new, and therefore miss important context
Anthropomorphism
The attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human things—it helps us make sense of the behaviours and events we encounter
However, perceiving the presence of human qualities in other entities can be misleading when such qualities are absent
The attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human things—it helps us make sense of the behaviours and events we encounter
However, perceiving the presence of human qualities in other entities can be misleading when such qualities are absent
Essentialism
The belief that groups of people, such as men and women, have different basic characteristics that cannot be changed and that are necessary to their identity
Beware of this belief as it can lead to rigid thinking and perception of our surrounding environment
The belief that groups of people, such as men and women, have different basic characteristics that cannot be changed and that are necessary to their identity
Beware of this belief as it can lead to rigid thinking and perception of our surrounding environment
Cheerleader Effect
The cognitive bias which causes people to think individuals are more attractive when they are in a group
Arises from a tendency of the mind to not process every individual detail they perceive, but rather summarise or categorise information as a group
The cognitive bias which causes people to think individuals are more attractive when they are in a group
Arises from a tendency of the mind to not process every individual detail they perceive, but rather summarise or categorise information as a group
Mental Accounting
A tendency to place different values on the same amount of money, based on subjective criteria, often with detrimental results
Helps explain why people are willing to spend more when they pay with a credit card than cash
A tendency to place different values on the same amount of money, based on subjective criteria, often with detrimental results
Helps explain why people are willing to spend more when they pay with a credit card than cash
Appeal To Probability Fallacy
Asserting that since something is probably the case, it is certainly the case
“If I keep doing this long enough, I will probably succeed; therefore, I will succeed.”
Asserting that since something is probably the case, it is certainly the case
“If I keep doing this long enough, I will probably succeed; therefore, I will succeed.”
Magic Number (7+-2)
The average person can only keep 7 ± 2 items in their short-term working memory
Humans can process finite information. Information overload will lead to distraction that negatively affects performance
When conveying information, limit it to the essentials
The average person can only keep 7 ± 2 items in their short-term working memory
Humans can process finite information. Information overload will lead to distraction that negatively affects performance
When conveying information, limit it to the essentials
Swimmer's Body Illusion
Confusing traits with results
We think we can get the body of a professional swimmer by swimming a lot.
In truth, the swimmer is able to reach a professional level due to already having the ‘right’ body
We should identify and play to our strengths
Confusing traits with results
We think we can get the body of a professional swimmer by swimming a lot.
In truth, the swimmer is able to reach a professional level due to already having the ‘right’ body
We should identify and play to our strengths
Streetlight Effect
People tend to get their information from where it’s easiest to look
E.g. We use the first page of Google search results for the majority of research regrdless of how factual the results are. Cumulatively, this can skew knowlege in an entire field
People tend to get their information from where it’s easiest to look
E.g. We use the first page of Google search results for the majority of research regrdless of how factual the results are. Cumulatively, this can skew knowlege in an entire field
Planning Fallacy
A tendency to underestimate the time it will take to complete a future task, despite knowledge that previous tasks have taken longer than planned
Occurs due to an optimisim bias
A tendency to underestimate the time it will take to complete a future task, despite knowledge that previous tasks have taken longer than planned
Occurs due to an optimisim bias
That's a wrap!
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