From the course: Critical Thinking for Software Engineers: Practical Approach to Complex Software Engineering Challenges
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Recognize cognitive biases
From the course: Critical Thinking for Software Engineers: Practical Approach to Complex Software Engineering Challenges
Recognize cognitive biases
- We've all been taught that bias is a bad word and that only bad people have bias, but the reality is that all humans are biased. Our biases are cognitive shortcuts we take to understand the world around us more quickly. In many cases, these are helpful. For instance, we're biased to notice cars moving in certain directions when we're crossing the street. In other cases, our biases can be obstacles to thinking critically or even harm others. It's important that we understand both our own and others' biases. Some common types of bias to look out for include affinity bias. Quite simply, we tend to prefer people who are similar to us. We may even discount the opinions and experiences of those different from us. Primacy bias. Our first impressions have the biggest effect, and that impression can crowd out subsequent information we gather, even if that subsequent information is more valuable or factually supported. Halo effect. If we like someone, we tend to think they have good ideas and…
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