40 Biases in Category

What should we remember?

Deep Dive

All Biases

We store memories differently based on how they were experienced

Levels of Processing Effect

We remember information that has been processed at a deeper, more meaningful level better than shallowly processed information.

Testing Effect

We remember information better when we actively retrieve it through testing rather than simply restudying it.

Absent-Mindedness

We fail to remember information due to lack of attention during encoding or retrieval.

Next-in-Line Effect

We have reduced recall for events just before our turn to perform, due to anxiety or preparation focus.

Google Effect (Digital Amnesia)

We are less likely to remember information that can be easily accessed online.

Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon

We experience a feeling of knowing something while being temporarily unable to retrieve it from memory.

Zeigarnik Effect

We remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones.

We reduce events and lists to their key elements

Suffix Effect

Adding an item to the end of a list reduces recall of earlier items, especially in auditory memory.

Serial Position Effect

We remember items at the beginning and end of a list better than those in the middle.

Part-List Cueing Effect

Being shown some items from a list as cues can impair recall of the remaining items.

Recency Effect

We remember the most recently presented items in a list best.

Primacy Effect

We remember the first items presented in a list better than those in the middle.

Memory Inhibition

Some memories actively interfere with or suppress the retrieval of other memories.

Modality Effect

We remember the final items of a list better when presented auditorily versus visually.

Duration Neglect

We judge experiences based on their peak intensity and end, ignoring their duration.

List-Length Effect

The longer a list, the smaller the proportion of items we recall from it.

Serial Recall Effect

We remember items in a sequence better when they are recalled in the order they were presented.

Misinformation Effect

Our memory of an event becomes less accurate when we are exposed to misleading information after the event.

Leveling and Sharpening

When retelling events, we simplify (level) some details while emphasizing (sharpening) others.

Peak-End Rule

We judge experiences based on how we felt at their most intense point and at the end, rather than the total experience.

We discard specifics to form generalities

Fading Affect Bias

The emotion associated with negative memories fades faster than the emotion associated with positive memories.

Prejudice

We hold preconceived opinions about individuals based on their membership in a particular group.

Implicit Stereotypes

We unconsciously attribute certain qualities to members of social groups without awareness.

Implicit Associations

We automatically associate concepts in memory, influencing judgments and behavior without conscious awareness.

We edit and reinforce some memories after the fact

Spacing Effect

We learn and remember information better when study sessions are spaced out over time rather than massed together.

Suggestibility

Our memories can be influenced and altered by suggestions from others, especially authority figures.

False Memory

We remember events that never actually occurred, or remember them very differently from how they happened.

Cryptomnesia

We mistakenly believe a memory is a new, original idea, forgetting that we learned it from someone else.

Source Confusion (Source Monitoring Error)

We misattribute the source of a memory, confusing where, when, or how we learned something.

Misattribution of Memory

We attribute a memory to the wrong source or context, confusing fantasy with reality or one event with another.

We favor simple-looking options and complete information over complex, ambiguous options

Information Bias

We seek information even when it cannot affect our decision or action.

Ambiguity Bias

We avoid options where the probability of outcomes is unknown, preferring known probabilities even if less favorable.

Belief Revision

We inadequately update our beliefs when presented with new evidence, either over- or under-revising.

Rhyme as Reason Effect

We perceive statements that rhyme as more truthful and accurate than non-rhyming statements.

Law of Triviality (Bike-Shedding Effect)

We give disproportionate weight to trivial issues while neglecting more important but complex ones.

Delmore Effect

We are more likely to set goals in areas where we are already competent rather than where we need improvement.

Conjunction Fallacy

We judge the conjunction of two events as more probable than one of the events alone.

Occam's Razor

We prefer simpler explanations over more complex ones when both equally explain the data.

Less-is-Better Effect

We prefer a smaller, more complete option over a larger, less complete option when judged separately (but not together).

Hick’s Law

The time it takes to make a decision increases logarithmically with the number and complexity of choices (critical in UX design).