The History of Cognitive Bias

Understanding an Error in Judgment

Cognitive bias is a type of error in thinking or judgement that occurs when our perception of reality is clouded by our preconceived beliefs, perceptions or opinions. This type of bias is especially prevalent in decision–making and has been studied and written about extensively over the past several decades.

The concept of cognitive bias has been around for centuries, even before the term itself was coined. Ancient philosophers, such as Aristotle and Plato, wrote about the concept in their works, noting that humans have a tendency to make decisions based on their own beliefs and preconceptions.

This type of bias was also discussed in the writings of scholars such as Immanuel Kant and David Hume, who argued that people often have a tendency to be influenced by their own emotions, beliefs and experiences. In the 20th century, cognitive bias began to be studied in a more systematic way. In the 1950s, psychologist Amos Tversky and economist Daniel Kahneman developed the concept of “heuristics”, which are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to make decisions. They argued that people often rely on these heuristics instead of using deeper analysis, which can lead to cognitive bias.

Cognitive Bias in Modern Times

The concept of cognitive bias was further developed in the 1970s by psychologist Paul Slovic. He argued that humans have a tendency to make decisions based on their own feelings rather than an objective analysis of the facts. In 1985, the term “cognitive bias” was officially coined by cognitive psychologist and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman. In recent years, cognitive bias has become a major area of study in psychology and other social sciences.

Many studies have been conducted to explore the different types of cognitive bias, such as confirmation bias, which occurs when people look for evidence that supports their beliefs, rather than evidence that may contradict them. The study of cognitive bias has also become popular in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). AI researchers are using cognitive bias to create more accurate models of human decision–making.

In addition, the study of cognitive bias can help to improve decision–making in businesses, government, and other organisations. Overall, cognitive bias has been around for centuries, but it has only been in the past few decades that it has been studied and written about extensively.

With the rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies, cognitive bias will likely continue to be studied for years to come.