"Unveiling the Path to Informed Decisions: My Proactive Approach to Decision-Making"

In our professional as well as personal lives, we interact with people most of the time and keep on taking decisions. Here are my experiences with the biases and how I mitigated them:

Confirmation Bias: This bias occurs when you seek evidence to confirm your existing beliefs or hypotheses, ignoring contradictory information.

To avoid confirmation bias, normally. I ask open-ended questions during interaction to allow participants to freely express their thoughts without being led toward a specific answer. Additionally, include a diverse sample of users to avoid relying on a small group that aligns with your preconceptions.

False Consensus Bias: False consensus bias occurs when we overestimate the number of people who share our opinions or beliefs.

To avoid this bias, I clearly articulate my assumptions and be aware that not everyone will have the same perspective. Surveying a larger group of people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints can help provide a more accurate representation.

Recency Bias: Recency bias refers to the tendency to remember and prioritize information that is most recent.

To avoid this bias, I normally take detailed notes or recordings during interviews and conversations with consent. Reviewing earlier parts of the discussion helps capture the full context and prevents overemphasis on the most recent information.

Primacy Bias: Primacy bias is the tendency to remember the first information encountered more strongly.

I avoid this bias by taking detailed notes or recordings, ensuring consistency in the interview process, and comparing and contrasting participants' responses over time.

Implicit Bias: Implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, involves associating attitudes and stereotypes with certain groups of people without conscious awareness.

To avoid implicit bias, I reflect on my own behaviors and assumptions and actively seek out diverse participants who represent a variety of identity profiles. By recognizing and acknowledging our biases, we can work towards more inclusive and representative research and design processes.

Sunk Cost Fallacy: The sunk cost fallacy refers to the tendency to continue investing time or resources in a project because of the effort already expended, even if it's not yielding the desired results.

To avoid this bias, I break down my decisions into smaller phases and establish decision points where we can reassess the complete decision's viability. This allows for course correction based on new insights before significant resources are further invested.

Bandwagon Effect: The tendency to adopt beliefs or behaviors because many others do, without critically evaluating them.

To avoid the bandwagon effect, I encourage my independent thinking and critical analysis. Promote an environment that values my opinions and encourages people to voice their ideas without fear of judgment.

Stereotyping Bias: The tendency to generalize or make assumptions about a group of people based on limited information or preconceived notions.

To avoid stereotyping bias, normally I promote empathy, cultural understanding, and inclusivity. Encourage diverse interactions, challenge stereotypes through education, and foster an environment of respect and equality.

To overcome those biases, I cultivate self-awareness, engage in critical thinking, actively seek out diverse perspectives, and be open to challenging my own assumptions.

Creating a culture of inclusivity, respectful dialogue, and evidence-based decision-making usually helps me mitigate the impact of biases in interactions with people and my decision-making processes.