Peeking Behind the Curtain of our Subconsciousness
Cognitive biases are shortcuts your brain takes to make sense of the world. Sometimes they help. Often, they get in the way of good design, clear decisions, and honest research.
This series breaks down 180+ biases, organized using Buster Benson’s original categorization of the Cognitive Bias Codex, into something your whole product team can actually use. New entries drop every other week.
Catch the latest episode
Each bias gets its own episode.
Listen on your favorite podcast app or watch the full breakdown on YouTube.
Too Much Information
We notice things already primed in memory or repeated often
Bizarre funny visually-striking things stick out more than non-bizarre/unfunny things
We notice when something has changed
We are drawn to details that confirm our own existing beliefs
We notice flaws in others more easily than we notice flaws in ourselves
Not Enough Meaning
We tend to find stories and data when looking at sparse data
We fill in characteristics from stereotypes generalities and prior histories
We imagine things and people we’re familiar with or fond of as better
We simplify probabilities and numbers to make them easier to think about
We think we know what other people are thinking
We project our current mindset and assumptions onto the past and future
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Need to Act Fast
We favor simple-looking options and complete information over complex ambiguous options
To avoid mistakes we aim to preserve autonomy and group status and avoid irreversible decisions
To get things done we tend to complete things we’ve time & energy in
To stay focused we favor the immediate relatable thing in front of us
To act we must be confident we can make an impact and feel what we do is important
What Should We Remember?
We store memories differently based on how they are experienced
We reduce events and lists to their key elements
We discard specifics to form generalities
We edit and reinforce some memories after the fact
The groupings on this page are based on Buster Benson’s original categorization of the cognitive bias list, visualized by John Manoogian III in the Cognitive Bias Codex.
This list is just the beginning. Each week (or so) we’re diving into a new bias, and there’s still lots to cover! Check back every other week and you’ll get a fresh bias breakdown to explore.