The bias blind spot is a cognitive bias that involves not being able to recognize your own biases. You probably realize that there are subtle cognitive biases that influence your perceptions and decisions. Yet, if you are like most people, you also tend to notice those biases more in other people than in yourself. This…
All of us make bad decisions from time to time. The judgments and choices you make each day, no matter how big or how small, are all influenced by a wide variety of biases, prejudices, emotions, errors, mental short-cuts, and oversimplifications. With so many factors, it is important to learn how to make better decisions….
Intrinsic motivation involves a driving force behind behavior that emerges from within rather than as a result of external reward. In other words, it is a type of motivation that involves doing things because you find them naturally satisfying or doing things for their own sake because you find them enjoyable. Intrinsic motivation is usually contrasted…
A mindset is a set of beliefs about yourself that shape how you interpret and interact with the world around you. These belief systems not only impact your behavior but also influence your ability to reach your goals. These results support the previous findings of psychologist Carol Dweck. Dweck’s work suggests that praising children for…
Cognitive psychology reveals the inner workings of the mind, from how we process information to how we make decisions. Discover the science behind our mental processes.
From basic survival to self-actualization, Maslow’s hierarchy reveals how our deepest needs shape the way we live, work, and pursue happiness.
The Barnum effect is a type of cognitive bias that involves a tendency to believe that vague, general personality descriptions apply specifically and uniquely to them. Horoscopes are a good example of this phenomenon. While each horoscope is general, generic, and can apply to virtually anyone, people often feel like their own horoscope is strangely…
The projection bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves overestimating the degree to which other people agree with us. People tend to assume that others think, feel, believe, and behave much like they do. They assume that their way of thinking about something or doing things is typical, and therefore other normal people…
The serial position effect refers to the tendency to be able to better recall the first and last items on a list than the middle items. Psychology Hermann Ebbinghaus noted during his research that his ability to remember the items on a list depended on the position of the item on the list. An example…
What simple activity can increase your concentration, lower your stress, and help you sleep better? These are just a few of the many psychological benefits of meditation. Fortunately, you don’t need the mental training of a Buddhist monk to reap some of the many benefits of meditation. There is a growing body of research that…
