Choice-supportive bias
🧠 Psych - 83 / 100
Hey, there.
Today, we will be talking about the Choice-supportive bias.
What is it?
The tendency for a decision-maker to defend his own decision or to later rate it better than it was simply because he made it.
Example -
A lot of people in situation where there has been a poor outcome because of neglecting a choice over other’s, would say to you “I told you it was the right decision”.
Where does it occur?
The objective of a choice is generally to pick the best option. Thus, after making a choice, a person is likely to maintain the belief that the chosen option was better than the options rejected. Every choice has an upside and a downside.
The process of making a decision is mostly relied upon by previous experiences. Therefore, a person will remember not only the decision made but also the reasoning behind making that decision.
Why do I need to know?
People’s conception of who they are is shaped by the memories of the choices they make; the college favored over the one renounced, the job chosen over the one rejected, the candidate elected instead of another one not selected.
Memories of chosen as well as forgone alternatives can affect one’s sense of well-being. Regret for options not taken can cast a shadow, whereas satisfaction at having made the right choice can make a good outcome seem even better. [1]
Takeaways: -
You are likely to remember the positive insights over the negative events.
References & Studies: -
https://psynso.com/choice-supportive-bias/
http://howtogetyourownway.com/biases/choice_supportive_bias.html
Learn Neuroscience with the absolute beginners. Join the lesson club!
Looking for previous issues? Take a look at Archives.