Behind the Mind: The Science of Bias

Episode 20: G.I. Joe Fallacy

Having listened to many of these episodes, do you think you have overcome these biases? Or do you think that these biases are built into the workings of our mind and that we cannot overcome them? Or rather, somewhere in between?

Episode 19: Overconfidence Effect

Ever found yourself completely convinced that you aced a test, only to find that you scored much lower than expected? Or have you ever been shocked to realize you were wrong on something you thought was an undeniable fact? Maybe it was even embarrassing to find out?

Episode 18: Subadditivity Effect

Ever wondered why a project might take longer when you allot time to individual tasks? Or why you buy more groceries when you make a list? Or how budgeting individual expenses may not turn out as expected?

Episode 17: Forer/Barnum Effect

Why do some of us believe in pseudosciences? Why do some horoscopes seem to be eerily accurate? Are all personality tests as objective and descriptive as we think?

Episode 16: Declinism

Why do we always talk about “the good old days”? And why do we fear what the future holds for society? Why do we believe we are so much worse off than we were a few decades ago?

Episode 15: Frequency Illusion

Why do we suddenly start seeing a particular car model on the road all the time after we've bought one? Why does a word we just learned seem to appear everywhere? Why are we surprised when we need to apply a concept we recently learned in another context?

Episode 14: Rhyme as Reason Effect

The sound of the rhyme makes ideas stick, our judgments influenced, our choices quick. It's like the rhyme grants wisdom and sense, even when logic may be on the fence.

Episode 13: Illusory Truth Effect

Why is repetition such an important literary device? Why does propaganda work better than it would seem to? Why do familiar statements feel more true than unfamiliar ones?

Episode 12: Confirmation Bias

Why do some of us believe in tarot card readings and horoscopes? Why do some people only focus on the successful games of their favorite sports teams? Why do we feel a sense of validation when our already existing ideas are supported?

Episode 11: Hard-Easy Effect

Why do we sign ourselves up for tasks we end up having difficulty completing? Why do we sometimes embarrass ourselves with seemingly easy tasks? Why do we overestimate our ability to complete challenging tasks and underestimate our ability to complete easy ones?