Bias

Lore & Background

The word 'bias' appears to derive from Old Provençal into Old French biais, meaning 'sideways, askance, against the grain.' It entered English via the game of bowls, where it referred to balls made with a greater weight on one side. The term then expanded to figurative use, 'a one-sided tendency of the mind,' and at first especially in law, 'undue propensity or prejudice.'

Reader's Guide

Bias is a central concept in understanding human judgment and decision-making. Cognitive biases, such as anchoring, confirmation bias, and framing, reveal systematic patterns of deviation from rational standards. These biases can lead to perceptual distortion, inaccurate judgment, and illogical interpretation, though some may be adaptive, allowing faster choices when speed is more valuable than precision. Attribution biases, including the fundamental attribution error and self-serving bias, affect how people explain their own and others' behaviors. The halo effect and horn effect show how overall impressions influence specific judgments. Status quo bias reflects a preference for the current state of affairs. Understanding bias is crucial in fields from psychology to law, as it helps explain poor decisions in political and organizational contexts, and informs efforts to mitigate its effects.

Did You Know?

• The word 'bias' entered English via the game of bowls, where it referred to balls made with a greater weight on one side.
• Anchoring is a heuristic describing the propensity to rely on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions.
• Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms one's beliefs while giving less attention to contradictory information.
• The halo effect is named after the concept of a saint's halo, and the horn effect refers to Devil's horns.