Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from rationality in judgment (you could also include decision making here), often leading to perceptual distortion, inaccurate judgment, illogical interpretation, or what we commonly refer to as “thinking errors.” Basically, a cognitive bias is our brain fooling us in some way. All of this is considerably amplified with college students for a number of reasons. Here is my list of the top 10 distortions I see students engage in throughout the semester.
- Confirmation Bias
Let’s kick things off with one of the most well-known biases—the confirmation bias. Have you ever noticed that you tend to seek out information that confirms your existing beliefs? Well, you’re not alone. Confirmation bias is like our brain’s way of saying, “I like what I know, and I want more of it.” Just imagine this bias within the confines of college classes and greek life. Students will find every bit of “research” that confirms weed is good for whatever problem they have, despite plenty of legitimate research to the contrary.
- Anchoring Effect
Another fascinating bias is the anchoring effect. Imagine you’re negotiating the price of a used car. The initial price thrown out—whether high or low—tends to anchor the rest of the negotiation. It’s as if our brains get tethered to that first number, influencing all subsequent decisions. This comes up pretty often with study abroad and spring break trips. Once someone (ANYONE) has set an anchor for a cool location, every other option is compared to that initial choice.
- Survivorship Bias
Ever find yourself thinking, “Well, it worked for me, so it must be the best way”? That might be the result of survivorship bias. We tend to focus on the successes and overlook the failures, leading to an overly optimistic view of our chances of success. This is true with how college students assess correlation with majors and income. Universities don’t highlight all of the students who graduated with a business degree but ended up in financial ruin.
- Sunk Cost Fallacy
Now, let’s talk about the sunk cost fallacy. This is the tendency to continue investing in a decision or project because we’ve already invested so much—regardless of the actual return on investment. It’s like throwing good money after bad just because we’ve already thrown some money. I see this often with college relationships. A student has put so much time and energy into a relationship that, even though they don’t like the person, they believe it would be a waste to dump them.
- Dunning-Kruger Effect
Next, we can’t forget about the Dunning-Kruger effect. This bias occurs when students with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. In simpler terms, it’s when we don’t know enough about a topic to realize how little we know. It’s a bit like the saying, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” College guys who gamble, especially with sports betting, are a good example of this bias. They believe that since they watch Monday night football or are friends with someone on the football team that they are somehow endowed with above average ability to make successful wagers.
- Frequency Effect
Frequency illusion (also referred to as the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon). The frequency illusion is that once something has been noticed, we notice it more often, leading to the belief it has a high frequency of occurrence (a form of selection bias). Seeing an ex-boyfriend a few times and believing he’s suddenly everywhere they are is a good example of how a college student can experience frequency bias.
- Selection Bias
Selection bias, which happens when the members of a statistical sample are not chosen completely at random, leads to the sample not being representative of the population. Joining a fraternity is typically a voluntary decision. If individuals self-select into fraternity membership based on shared interests, values, or social affiliations, it can lead to a self-selected group that may differ in certain characteristics from those who choose not to join. This self-selection can introduce bias into any analysis or perception of fraternity members.
- Availability Heuristic
The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that involves relying on information that is readily available in one’s memory to make judgments or decisions, rather than seeking more comprehensive or accurate information. In other words, people tend to give greater importance to information that comes to mind easily or is readily accessible, even if it may not be the most representative or reliable.
Consider a student who, after watching a video on tiktok about shark attacks, becomes fearful of going to the beach on Spring Break, despite the statistical rarity of such incidents. The availability heuristic, in this case, is at play as the vivid and emotionally charged information about shark attacks easily comes to mind, leading to an overestimation of the likelihood of encountering a shark while swimming.
While the availability heuristic can be a useful mental shortcut in some situations, it can also lead to biases and errors in judgment when the information available is not representative of the overall reality. Being aware of the availability heuristic can help students make more informed and rational decisions by actively seeking out a broader range of information rather than relying solely on what is easily accessible in memory.
- Halo Effect
The halo effect is a cognitive bias that involves our tendency to let our overall impression of a person or entity influence how we feel and think about their character. In other words, if we have a positive impression of someone based on one notable trait or characteristic, we are more likely to assume that person possesses other positive qualities as well, even if we have little or no direct evidence for those assumptions.
Imagine a company’s office is exceptionally well decorated and has nice furniture and a beautiful view. The positive first impression created by these traits might lead the student applying for an internship to assume that the company possesses good quality and opportunities, even before assessing these qualities directly. This overall positive judgment is an example of the halo effect.
Understanding the halo effect is important because it can lead to biased decision-making. Recognizing when this bias is at play allows students to make more informed judgments. In situations where accurate assessments are crucial, such as choosing friends or dating, it’s beneficial to consciously separate one’s overall impression from specific, relevant traits or behaviors.
- Self-serving Bias
The self-serving bias is a cognitive bias that involves students attributing positive events and successes to their own character, abilities, or efforts, while attributing negative events and failures to external factors or situational influences. In essence, people tend to “serve” themselves by taking credit for positive outcomes and avoiding responsibility for negative outcomes.
Let’s take, for example, a student who does well on an exam. If they have a self-serving bias, they might over-attribute their success to their intelligence, hard work, or effective study strategies—internal and stable factors within their control. On the other hand, if the same student performs poorly on a different exam, they might over-attribute their failure to external factors, such as the difficulty of the test, lack of medication, or distractions in the environment.
While the self-serving bias can help individuals maintain confidence and motivation, it can also lead to distorted perceptions of reality. In situations where accurate self-assessment is important for personal growth or decision-making, individuals may benefit from reflecting on their attributions and considering a more balanced perspective.
In summary, these biases shape college student perceptions, decisions, and actions every day, reminding us that even the most rational minds are not immune to the distortions of human psychology. Understanding how our brains protect us, motivate us, and sometimes fool us is essential in improving psychological well-being, especially at college.