Expectations Bias 😣
🧠 Psych - 60 / 100
Hello.
Today, We will be talking about the Expectations Bias 😣.
What is it?
The type of bias which occurs when an your expectations about an outcome influence perceptions of your own or others’ behavior.
Example -
A pilot calls the control tower and reports ready for departure on Runway 10. The controller clears the pilot for takeoff on Runway 17.
The pilot reads back his clearance for takeoff on Runway 10 – and then stops on the runway when he spots an aircraft inbound in an opposite direction for his or her runway. In this case the pilot was captured by the expectation of what he or she was expecting to hear.
The European Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit Eurocontrol defines ATC expectation bias as “Having a strong belief or mindset toward a particular outcome.” Hearing what we expect to hear is frequently listed as a causal factor for pilot deviations that occur both on the ground and in the air.
Where does it occur?
Expectation bias is one of the type of observer bias, in the larger category of measurement biases.
Why do I need to know?
Rapid communication is part of our daily lives and workplace distractions and multi-tasking in a maintenance environment can compound the already difficult challenges of effective communications.
Similar to the pilot communication with ATC, when issued instructions or asked questions, listen intently and repeat them to yourself and back to your coworker.[1]
Takeaways:-
The clearer you communicate your objective or intentions, the better the results you will yield.
Personally, there has been a number of times where I had expectations about something and when that doesn’t happen (or delays), I realise how foolish I was being anxious all the time.
What about you? Do you believe in having expectations or do you think it is better to have no expectations at all?
References & Studies:-
https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/mro/article/10796523/expectation-bias
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