Projection bias 📽

🧠 Psych - 46 / 100

Hello.

Today, We will be talking about the Projection Bias 📽.

What is it?

Sometimes, we overestimate the fact that most of the people around us share the same thinking patterns, beliefs and attitudes.

Example -

“We may have learned from experience not to go to the supermarket when we are hungry – we tend to buy all kinds of junk that we don’t normally eat or want to eat, and not only is our bill higher than normal but we also end up with stuff we don’t consume or don’t want to consume. This happens because at the time of shopping we incorrectly anticipate that our future hunger will be as great as it is now.”

(Wilkinson & Klaes, 2012)

Where does it occur?

Because it is a part of cognitive biases, you can observe it happening around you and the people who you talk with.

Humans, in general, will “project” their behaviour by assuming things.

Why do I need to know?

We have the inability to place ourselves in the emotional state of our future self and thus, we end up making a decision based on our current emotional state.

This is also called “Empathy Gap” where people underestimate the influence of visceral states (e.g. being angry, in pain, or hungry) on their behaviour or preferences (Loewenstein, 2005) and overestimate the Intellectual influence of Decision-Making.

Projection bias becomes a problem when we let decisions made in present according to our current taste & preferences which affect our future goals and long-term habits.[1]

Takeaways:-

1. Assume only when you are strongly confident about the facts.

2. Take your time before making decisions. Keep your long term vision in mind.

References & Studies:-

1. https://uxdesign.cc/projection-bias-how-it-affects-us-in-our-daily-lives-influence-our-design-decisions-933baa3a3084

2. https://www.explorepsychology.com/projection-bias/

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