Blind Spot: Subconscious Biases, Preconceptions, & Unconscious Tendencies

Understanding other people’s thinking or decisions can be a tough pill to swallow. As the mom of a preteen, I often wonder if common sense or rational thinking has left my child’s brain entirely. Yet, despite the moments of chaos, I’m still wildly biased in thinking my daughter is an absolute badass.

Even as adults with fully formed brains, we can struggle with processing information and not jumping to conclusions—whether it's in business or everyday interactions. We tend to oversimplify things or form unconscious judgments that aren't based on logic, facts, or sound reasoning. Why? Because of something called cognitive bias (CB), a concept I've heard countless times on my personal development journey. So, I finally thought, "Why the hell not? Time to dive deeper."

In this edition of Unraveled, we’ll break it all down: what cognitive bias is, how it presents itself, and three tips from Dr. Prewitt of Cleveland Health on developing more cognitive flexibility.

So, if you’ve ever found yourself clinging to a certain belief or way of thinking, you’re not alone. This info might help you recognize where your biases come into play—because, trust me, we all have them. In fact, thinking you don’t is a cognitive bias in itself (mind blown, right?). ??

What is Cognitive Bias?

Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts our brains use to process the massive amount of information we encounter every second. They’re subconscious tendencies that shape our judgment, decisions, and behavior. While these shortcuts help simplify things, they can also lead to irrational decisions that don’t align with logic or sound reasoning.

Types of Cognitive Bias

1. Affinity Bias: Favoring people who remind us of ourselves.
2. Confirmation Bias: Seeking out or paying attention to information supporting our beliefs.
3. Conservatism Bias: Preferring established information over new insights that could challenge our preconceptions.
4. Fundamental Attribution Error: Believing that people’s actions reflect who they are, rather than considering external factors.
5. Recency Bias: Giving more weight to recent events or information.
6. Proximity Bias: Valuing things or people that are familiar or physically close to us.

Tips to Overcome Cognitive Bias

• Acknowledge your biases: The first step is admitting that we all have cognitive biases. If you don’t see it as an issue, you’re less likely to be open to understanding someone else’s perspective.
• Diversify your experiences: Intentionally seek out conversations and interactions with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints. It’s crucial to hear how others approach situations.
• Practice cognitive flexibility: Before jumping to conclusions, consider the context of a situation. As Dr. Prewitt suggests, someone with cognitive flexibility can recognize the gray areas in life, realizing that not everything is black or white, right or wrong.

Think about it again for a second: which biases—affinity, confirmation, conservatism, fundamental attribution error, recency, or proximity—might be sneaking into your thinking or decisions today?

Let’s start Unravel by acknowledging our biases and working towards a more open form of thinking. Coworkers might make us want to pull our hair out, our kids' thinking and behavior might seem irrational, and we might sometimes find ourselves closed off to new ideas

“People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.” -Blaise Pascal, De l’art de Persuader

References:

1. ScienceDirect on Cognitive Bias
2. Britannica on Cognitive Bias
3. Cleveland Health on Cognitive Bias
4. AIB on Leadership and Bias

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