The purpose of this leadership issue paper is to address the effects cognitive biases have on decision making, thus by stating the merits and demerits of cognitive biases as they pertain to management/leadership and healthcare. This leadership issue paper is organized using a systematic approach where the reader can distinctly identify the pros and cons of cognitive biases on decision making. It is the author’s belief that cognitive biases do more harm than help in the process of decision making. The paper includes four scholarly articles to support the author’s position with a recommendation and provide the reader with a perspective on the relationship between cognitive biases and decision making.
Introduction Faced with the imperfectability of decision making, researchers have sought to achieve an optimal way where people can make decisions if not perfect, at least that will deliver a better outcome. Whether it is a manager trying to hire people, a nurse/doctor trying to make a clinical decision, and or a lay person trying to decide what to eat for lunch we all decide in some shape way or form. One of the ways decision making can be affected is through cognitive biases. In general term, bias refers to “an inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair” (Oxford English Dictionary). These inclinations are mostly driven
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To distinguish the pros and cons of cognitive biases, the biases should be dealt in a case by case scenario. However, there are groups that benefit from using the main cognitive biases, and those are the media, business marketing, and politicians. These groups play to the erroneous intuition that people usually depend on to make their
One problem that plagues us everyday without us even realizing it is media bias. We see it in the news. We see it on our favorite sitcoms. We read it everyday in the paper. Yet, we really don't recognize it when we hear it or see it. Media bias is evident in every aspect of the media, yet the problem is that we don't even recognize it when it is right in front of our faces. Are the impressions that we form about individuals a product of the media? Do we form certain opinions about particular types of people based solely on the things we see and hear in the media everyday without even realizing it? The problem is not only that there is media bias present, but also that we can't recognize it when we see it.
In a general sense society derives much of their beliefs and indifferences from stories that are covered in the media. If the stories are being reported biased, how can we, as a society, see the whole picture? The author's purpose is to inform readers about the different biases that news and media sway by and to provide evidence that proves instances when these biases have weakened the validity of the reporter's story. "Journalist are like dogs-whenever anything moves, they begin to bark." (Gladstone, 2011/2013, P.25)
In terms of the anchoring bias, regularly revisit of the original decision based on the newly gathered data needs to be set up within the organization. Additionally, the decision maker should avoid the Confirmation Trap in which Bazerman and Moore (2009) argues that people tend to seek information that confirms their expectations and hypotheses. To recognize the bias, Mike Francis could
One hundred and sixty-six exonerations took place in 2016, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, setting a new record (“Exonerations 2016” 3). Indeed, misconvictions are now seen as part of the normal judicial process(“Exonerations 2016” 17). However, why are there so many mistakes in convicting individuals? One of the largest causes may be biases within the courts. Implicit bias in the American judicial system may seriously impact the underprivileged in receiving impartial verdicts in the legal system and access to quality lawyers.
One problem that plagues us everyday without us even realizing it is media bias. We see it in the news. We see it on our favorite sitcoms. We read it everyday in the paper. Yet, we really don't recognize it when we hear it or see it. Media bias is evident in every aspect of the media, yet the problem is that we don't even recognize it when it is right in front of our faces. Are the impressions that we form about individuals a product of the media? Do we form certain opinions about particular types of people based solely on the things we see and hear in the media everyday without even realizing it? The problem is not only that there is media bias present, but also that we can't recognize it when we see
“Before proceeding, it is useful to clarify our definition of bias. Most important, the definition has nothing to do with the honesty or accuracy of the news outlet. Instead, our notion is more like a taste or preference” (Groseclose & Milyo, 2005).
Availability bias: the tendency for people to base their judgments on info that is readily available to them
Bias is something every person has; It is the inclination to feel prejudice towards a certain person, subject, or thing. On a personal level, bias affects just about everything a person could encounter, or has yet to encounter in their lifetime. There are two main types of biases people can have; Cognitive bias involves topics such as social attribution or memory errors, that are quite common and have a wide range of effects on how humans perceive things. The other type of bias is called social biases, or sometimes referred to as attributional bias. Attributional biases affect our everyday social interactions, and has a strong impact on people when trying to assess their own and others behaviors.
The subconscious mind develops unconscious bias in daily life, often at a very young age, causing people to make automatic decisions based on selective attention, threat of stereotyping, or intentional blindness.
Media bias can create implicit bias in consumers, effecting the livelihoods of the people it chooses to portray in a negative light.
Confirmation bias is a primary issue that prevents people from perceiving the world objectively. The phenomenon occurs when an individual chooses to expose themselves only to media and information that confirms a personally held belief rather than consider another side of the argument. In the media age we are currently in, it is remarkably uncomplicated to find countless arguments on one side of a controversial debate to buttress one’s own existing beliefs; we come to believe in a false consensus of our beliefs due to our limited exposure to other opinions. Consequently, especially in the United States due to having gone through an incredibly sensationalized presidential election, we are in a time somewhat marked by increased polarization.
A cognitive bias in which people will have the tendency to believe that a statement, idea, or information is accurate if it is either positive, meaningful, or if it’s personally addressed to them. Many people believe in biorhythms, horoscopes iridology, cold reading, and tarot cards because they appear to have the solution to their problems which is meaningful. In addition, many mediums and palm readers depend on subjective validation because it is easy to convince others that they are linked to unrelated events. (Pages 120, 122-123).
There is an enemy lurking about in society, hostile to tolerance and unity. Veiled as knowledge, this enemy threatens both learning and growth. It’s name is “confirmation bias”. Coined in the 1960’s by English Psychologist Peter Wason, confirmation bias is defined as an individual’s tendency to seek out and to favor information that confirms their previously held assumptions. Confirmation bias was no new phenomenon, however, as it is referenced throughout history. Even in Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, when Aquinas warns Dante that “opinion--hasty--often can incline to the wrong side, and then affection for one’s own opinion binds, confines the mind.” Confirmation bias is having detrimental effects on society, and is evidenced
Cognitive Biases people are tendencies to think in certain ways that can lead to systematic deviations from a "standard of rationality or good judgment, and often studied in psychology. And behavior can playing a big part
Unconscious bias is prejudices influencing individual thoughts and behaviours, influencing decision-making mainly owing to the judgements about other individuals and situations, without enough information. Unconscious bias affects the recruitment and selection in organisations as individuals or human elements have a significant contribution to the success of these processes (Beattie and Johnson 2012). The objective of recruitment and selection in any organisation is to attract the most potential and capable candidates therefore to select the most suitable applicants for appropriate jobs. Unconscious bias from stereotyping stems mainly from race and gender and has been studied in great detail from manufacturing, technology to the financial, and professional service industries (Collins 2007). However less research has been explored on unconscious bias affecting the recruitment and selection process within the retail fashion industry (Guryan and Charles 2013).