Page 50 - engage workbook
P. 50
Availability bias
Our brain’s desire for cognitive ease means that the busier our cognitive resources are,
the more vulnerable we are to cognitive bias. Whenever possible, our overloaded critical-
thinking skills take a break and let our intuition do the work. We reach for the easiest
available answer, or examples of things that come readily to mind.
The media, political movements and governments have been known to take advantage of
Availability Bias. For example, if a coordinated and repeated story is presented about a
particular individual or minority behaving in a certain way, the consistent repetition turns
the thought into a reassuring lie when perhaps we should be searching for an inconvenient
truth.
Readily available and often quoted information may not necessarily be the most
comprehensive or accurate, and can cloud our judgment.
A more personal example would be where we base a view on a specific example when
the total weight of evidence and probability point in a different direction e.g. not skiing
because we know someone who had an accident or continuing to smoke because we know
someone who did and lived to 100.
What you can do
• Don't automatically believe information from news outlets, forums, even colleagues
and friends. Do your own research.
• Speak to different people to get a range of opinions and information.
• Ask broader questions to get a better picture of a situation
(see section 8 – SHAPE Questioning).
45 engage-universe.com
