Human Biases

Human biases stem from a combination of evolutionary, psychological, social, and cognitive factors. Here are some ways to think about them.

Evolution

Biases helped our ancestors make quick decisions in environments

filled with uncertainty and danger. The brain evolved to prioritize speed

over accuracy in certain situations, leading to mental shortcuts

that sometimes result in biases. Our ancestors relied on cooperation

within small, close-knit groups for survival. This led to a tendency to

prefer and trust those who seemed like part of our group while being

wary of outsiders.

Our Brains

Our brains use mental shortcuts to process vast amounts of information quickly. While this can be efficient, it often leads to cognitive biases like confirmation bias, where we favour information that supports our pre-existing beliefs. The brain is wired to recognize patterns, even where none exist. This can lead to biases such as illusory correlations, where we believe there is a connection between two unrelated events.

Social

We are shaped by the norms, values, and beliefs of the societies we

grow up in. These cultural influences can reinforce stereotypes and

biases. We tend to categorize ourselves and others into groups (e.g.,

race, nationality, gender), which can lead to biases based on group

affiliations. This is related to ingroup/outgroup dynamics and can

manifest in prejudice or discrimination.

crowd of people

Emotional Desire Pleasure Avoid Pain

Emotions like fear, anxiety, or uncertainty can amplify biases. For

instance, when people feel threatened, they may be more prone to

stereotyping and prejudicial thinking.

When confronted with information that contradicts deeply held beliefs,

people experience discomfort and are more likely to reject or rationalize

the new information, reinforcing their biases.

Overload

When people are mentally tired or overloaded, they rely more on

stereotypes and biases because these mental shortcuts are less

cognitively demanding than critical thinking. We can’t process all the

information around us, so we selectively focus on things that align with

our expectations or interests, which can reinforce existing biases.

At their core, biases are adaptive mechanisms shaped by both our biology and social environments, but they can often misfire in modern contexts, leading to distorted perceptions of reality.