Cognitive Biases
The #1 place to explore cognitive biases — clear definitions, memorable real‑world examples, and practical counter‑moves. A project proudly supported and curated by MetalHatsCats.
Currently 217 articles — expanding weekly.
Catalogue - Cognitive Biases
Showing 217 of 217
Common Source Bias – when everyone repeats the same thing
You watch the news, read blogs, study research – and everywhere you see the same thing? It seems lik…
Conservatism Bias – when new evidence doesn't change old beliefs
You receive new information, but it barely changes your opinion? That’s Conservatism Bias – the tend…
Functional Fixedness – when objects can only be used one way
Do you see an object and think it can only be used for its intended purpose? That’s Functional Fixed…
Clustering Illusion – when randomness looks like a pattern
Do you see patterns where none exist? That’s Clustering Illusion – the tendency to overestimate the …
Illusory Correlation – when you see a connection that isn’t there
Do you think two events are connected when it’s just coincidence? That’s Illusory Correlation – the …
Pareidolia – when your brain sees patterns that aren’t there
Do you see faces in clouds or hear ‘hidden messages’ in music? That’s pareidolia – the tendency to p…
Anthropocentric Thinking – when everything is judged by human standards
Do you assume animals think and feel just like humans? That’s Anthropocentric Thinking – the tendenc…
Anthropomorphism – when objects and animals get human traits
Do you think your cat feels offended or that a robot has emotions? That’s Anthropomorphism – the ten…
Attentional Bias – when your thoughts control what you see
Do you notice only what’s on your mind? That’s Attentional Bias – the tendency to focus on informati…
Frequency Illusion – when something new suddenly appears everywhere
Did you recently learn about something and now it seems to be everywhere? That’s Frequency Illusion …
Implicit Association – when your brain links things faster than you realize
Do some words or concepts seem to connect faster in your mind than others? That’s Implicit Associati…
Salience Bias – when the striking overshadows the relevant
Do you focus only on the most striking things while ignoring the less noticeable ones? That’s Salien…
Selection Bias – when the sample doesn’t reflect reality
Are you making conclusions based on a sample that doesn’t represent the whole picture? That’s Select…
Survivorship Bias – when you only see the winners
Do you think success is just a matter of making the right choices because all you see are winners? T…
Quantification Bias – when only measurable things seem to matter
Do you trust numbers more than anything else? That’s Quantification Bias – the tendency to give more…
Well-Travelled Road Effect – when familiar routes feel faster
Does your daily commute feel shorter than a new route of the same distance? That’s Well-Travelled Ro…
Normalcy Bias – when you believe nothing bad will happen
Do you believe disasters only happen to others, not you? That’s Normalcy Bias – the tendency to igno…
Effort Justification – when hard work makes something seem more valuable
Does something feel more valuable just because you worked hard for it? That’s Effort Justification –…
Ben Franklin Effect – when doing a favor makes you like someone more
Do you like someone more after doing them a favor? That’s Ben Franklin Effect – when we’ve already h…
Backfire Effect – when evidence makes false beliefs stronger
Do you double down on your beliefs when confronted with contradicting evidence? That’s Backfire Effe…
Congruence Bias – when you only test what you want to confirm
Do you test a hypothesis only in ways that confirm it, rather than trying to disprove it? That’s Con…
Experimenter’s Bias – when you see only what you expect
Do you only notice results that confirm your hypothesis? That’s Experimenter’s Bias – the tendency t…
Observer-Expectancy Effect – when wanting a result makes it appear
Does a researcher believe in a certain outcome and unconsciously shape the data to fit? That’s Obser…
Selective Perception – when you only see what you expect
Do you notice only what confirms your expectations while ignoring everything else? That’s Selective …
False Consensus Effect – when you think everyone agrees with you
Do you believe most people share your opinions and choices? That’s False Consensus Effect – the tend…
False Uniqueness Bias – when you think you’re more unique than you are
Do you believe your ideas, talents, or projects are one of a kind, while others are just average? Th…
Forer (Barnum) Effect – when vague statements feel deeply personal
Have you ever read a horoscope or personality test and thought, “This is so me!”? That’s Forer (Barn…
Illusion of Asymmetric Insight – when you think you understand others better than they understand you
Do you think you see through people, but they don’t understand you? That’s Illusion of Asymmetric In…
Illusion of Control – when you think you have more influence than you do
Do you believe your actions influence events that are actually out of your control? That’s Illusion …
Illusion of Transparency – when you think people can read your mind
Do you think others understand your thoughts and emotions as clearly as you do? That’s Illusion of T…
Illusion of Validity – when you think your judgments are more accurate than they are
Do you believe your judgments are accurate just because the available information fits together well…
Illusory Superiority – when you think you’re better than most people
Do you think you drive better than the average driver? Or that your decisions are more rational than…
Naïve Cynicism – when you think others are more selfish than you
Do you believe that people act selfishly while your own actions are purely rational and fair? That’s…
Naïve Realism – when you think you see the world as it really is
Do you believe your views are based on objective facts, while those who disagree are simply misinfor…
Overconfidence Effect – when you're sure, but still wrong
Do you say you’re 99% sure about something, only to find out you were wrong? That’s Overconfidence E…
Planning Fallacy – when you think things will take less time than they do
Did you promise to finish on time, but missed the deadline again? That’s Planning Fallacy – the tend…
Restraint Bias – when you think you have more self-control than you do
Do you think you can resist temptation, but end up giving in anyway? That’s Restraint Bias – the ten…
Third-Person Effect – when you think media influences others, but not you
Do you believe that advertising, propaganda, or news influence others, but not you? That’s Third-Per…
Base Rate Fallacy – when you ignore general statistics for a specific case
Do you trust vivid examples more than dry statistics? That’s Base Rate Fallacy – when general probab…
Compassion Fade – when one victim moves you more than a thousand
Do you feel more moved by the story of one child in need than by statistics about millions suffering…
Conjunction Fallacy – when a specific scenario seems more likely than a general one
Do detailed stories seem more likely than simple ones? That’s Conjunction Fallacy – the tendency to …
Duration Neglect – when the ending matters more than the experience
Does a long enjoyable experience feel no better than a short one if it ended badly? That’s Duration …
Hyperbolic Discounting – when the present matters more than the future
Do you promise to start exercising next week, only to push it back when the time comes? That’s Hyper…
Insensitivity to Sample Size – when small samples mislead you
Do you make conclusions based on just a few examples, assuming they reflect reality? That’s Insensit…
Less-Is-Better Effect – when less seems more valuable
Do you prefer a small but high-quality reward over a larger but less impressive one? That’s Less-Is-…
Scope Neglect – when 2,000 and 20,000 victims feel the same
Would you pay the same amount to help 2,000 people as you would for 20,000? That’s Scope Neglect – t…
Zero-Risk Bias – when eliminating a small risk feels better than reducing a big one
Do you prefer eliminating a small risk entirely rather than significantly reducing a bigger one? Tha…
Agent Detection Bias – when you see intention behind randomness
Do you feel like strange events happen for a reason, as if someone is behind them? That’s Agent Dete…
Automation Bias – when you blindly trust automated systems
Do you follow your GPS even when it leads you into a dead end? That’s Automation Bias – the tendency…
Gender Bias – when gender shapes expectations
Do you assume engineers are mostly men and teachers are mostly women? That’s Gender Bias – implicit …
Sexual Perception Bias – when you misread romantic signals
Do you think someone is flirting when they’re just being polite? Or do you miss obvious signals of i…
Stereotyping – when you judge a person based on their group
Do you think programmers are introverted and athletes aren’t smart? That’s Stereotyping – the tenden…
Conservatism Bias – when new evidence doesn’t change old beliefs
Do you stick to your beliefs even when new facts contradict them? That’s Conservatism Bias – the ten…
Functional Fixedness – when objects can do more than you think
Do you hold a screwdriver and not realize you can use it to open a bottle? That’s Functional Fixedne…
Law of the Instrument – when one tool feels like the answer to everything
When you have a hammer, does everything look like a nail? That’s Law of the Instrument – the tendenc…
Decoy Effect – when a third option pushes you toward the second
Do you choose between two options, but then a third one appears, making the second option look bette…
Default Effect – when you stick with the pre-set option
Do you leave checkboxes as they are when filling out a form? That’s Default Effect – the tendency to…
Denomination Effect – when small bills disappear faster
Is it easier to spend a handful of coins than a single large bill? That’s Denomination Effect – the …
Distinction Bias – when differences seem bigger than they are
Do two smartphones seem drastically different in a store, but once you buy one, the difference feels…
Domain Neglect Bias – when you ignore relevant knowledge from other fields
Do you think you can run a business without understanding human psychology? That’s Domain Neglect Bi…
Context Neglect Bias – when technology forgets about people
Do you build complex systems without considering how real people will use them? That’s Context Negle…
Berkson’s Paradox – when two things seem connected, but they aren’t
Does it seem like successful people are less kind because there aren’t many kind, successful people?…
Escalation of Commitment – when you keep investing despite clear failure
Do you keep watching a boring movie just because you’ve already spent an hour on it? That’s Escalati…
G.I. Joe Fallacy – when you think knowing a bias makes you immune to it
Do you think that just knowing about cognitive biases makes you immune to them? That’s G.I. Joe Fall…
Gambler’s Fallacy – when you think the past changes the future odds
Do you think that after flipping five heads in a row, tails is ‘due’ to happen next? That’s Gambler’…
Hot-Hand Fallacy – when you think winning increases your chances of winning again
Did you make three shots in a row and now feel like the fourth is more likely to go in? That’s Hot-H…
Plan Continuation Bias – when you stick to the plan even when the situation has changed
Have you ever stuck to a route even after realizing there’s a shorter path? That’s Plan Continuation…
Subadditivity Effect – when parts seem more probable than the whole
Do events seem more likely when broken into parts than when considered as a whole? That’s Subadditiv…
Time-Saving Bias – when speed tricks your sense of time
Do you think increasing speed from 80 to 100 km/h saves a lot of time, while 20 to 40 km/h barely ma…
Zero-Sum Bias – when you think someone’s gain is your loss
Do you think that if someone gets richer, others must get poorer? That’s Zero-Sum Bias – the mistake…
Ambiguity Effect – when you avoid the unknown, even if it might be better
Do you avoid trying a new restaurant because there are no reviews, even though it might be better? T…
Disposition Effect – when you sell winners but cling to losers
Do you sell stocks that have gained value but hold onto losing ones, hoping they’ll recover? That’s …
Dread Aversion – when fearing the worst is worse than the event itself
Do you stress over an upcoming exam more than you actually suffer during it? That’s Dread Aversion –…
Endowment Effect – when what’s yours feels more valuable
Would you sell something only for much more than you’d be willing to pay for it? That’s Endowment Ef…
Loss Aversion – when losing hurts more than winning feels good
Does losing $100 feel much worse than finding $100 feels good? That’s Loss Aversion – the tendency t…
Pseudocertainty Effect – when you avoid risk in gains but chase it in losses
Do you prefer a guaranteed win but take risks to avoid losses? That’s Pseudocertainty Effect – the t…
Status Quo Bias – when you resist change, even if it’s better
Do you stick with your old phone even though a new one would be better? That’s Status Quo Bias – the…
System Justification – when you defend the system, even if it harms you
Do you believe that if something has been around for a long time, it must be good? That’s System Jus…
Dunning–Kruger Effect – when the less you know, the more confident you are
Does a beginner confidently explain a complex topic while an expert hesitates? That’s Dunning–Kruger…
Hot-Cold Empathy Gap – when you underestimate how emotions will change your choices
Do you believe you'll always eat healthy, but then grab fast food when hungry? That’s Hot-Cold Empat…
Hard–Easy Effect – when hard tasks seem easier and easy tasks seem harder
Do you think you’ll learn a new language in a month but doubt you can pass a simple test? That’s Har…
Illusion of Explanatory Depth – when you think you understand until you have to explain
Do you think you understand how a fridge works but struggle to explain what happens inside? That’s I…
Impostor Syndrome – when you fear being ‘exposed’ as a fraud
Do you achieve success but still feel like you're just faking it? That’s Impostor Syndrome – the ten…
Objectivity Illusion – when you believe you’re unbiased, unlike everyone else
Do you believe you see things as they truly are, while others are biased? That’s Objectivity Illusio…
Belief Bias – when you judge logic based on whether you agree with the conclusion
Do you only find arguments convincing when their conclusion aligns with your beliefs? That’s Belief …
Illusory Truth Effect – when repeated lies start to feel like truth
Do statements seem more true the more you hear them? That’s Illusory Truth Effect – the tendency to …
Rhyme as Reason Effect – when something feels true just because it rhymes
Do phrases like ‘If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit’ sound more convincing just because they …
Subjective Validation – when something feels true because you want it to be
Do you read a horoscope and think, ‘That’s so me!’? That’s Subjective Validation – the tendency to b…
Action Bias – when taking action feels better than doing nothing
Do you feel the need to take action, even when waiting would be smarter? That’s Action Bias – the te…
Additive Bias – when you add instead of subtracting
Do you think improving something always means adding more? That’s Additive Bias – the tendency to so…
Attribute Substitution – when your brain picks an easy answer instead of the right one
When faced with a complex question, your brain might unknowingly replace it with an easier one. That…
Curse of Knowledge – when you forget what it’s like to be a beginner
Do you struggle to explain something in simple terms because it’s obvious to you? That’s Curse of Kn…
Declinism – when the past seems golden, and the future looks bleak
Do you think the past was better, people were kinder, and life was simpler? That’s Declinism – the t…
End-of-History Illusion – when you think you won’t change anymore
Do you think you’ve reached your final form and won’t change much in the future? That’s End-of-Histo…
Exaggerated Expectation – when reality is always less extreme than you imagined
Did you expect a disaster, but nothing happened? Or thought something would change your life, but it…
Form-Function Attribution Bias – when you judge a robot by its looks, not its abilities
Do you see a cute robot and assume it’s smart and friendly? Or if it looks mechanical, do you think …
Fundamental Pain Bias – when your pain is real, but others’ seem exaggerated
Do you believe your pain is real and objective, but others are just exaggerating? That’s Fundamental…
Hedonic Recall Bias – when satisfied employees think they earn more, and unhappy ones think they earn less
Do you feel satisfied with your salary and think you earn more than you actually do? Or, if you're u…
Hindsight Bias – when the past looks obvious in retrospect
Do past events seem obvious in hindsight? That’s Hindsight Bias – the tendency to see past events as…
Impact Bias – when you overestimate how long or intense your emotions will be
Do you think winning the lottery will make you happy forever? Or that a failure will leave you devas…
Information Bias – when you seek information that won’t change your decision
Do you believe more information always leads to better decisions? That’s Information Bias – the tend…
Hungry Judge Effect – when your body makes decisions for you
Do you feel the world is more frustrating when you're hungry or tired? That’s Hungry Judge Effect – …
Money Illusion – when a bigger number feels like more money
Do you feel richer when your salary increases, even if prices rise even faster? That’s Money Illusio…
Moral Credential Effect – when doing good gives you a pass to do bad
Do you feel like one good deed gives you a free pass for less ethical behavior? That’s Moral Credent…
Non-Adaptive Choice Switching – when one bad experience makes you avoid a good choice
Did you make the right decision, but due to bad luck, you now refuse to make it again? That’s Non-Ad…
Mere Exposure Effect – when you like something just because it’s familiar
Have you noticed that the more you see something, the more you like it? That’s Mere Exposure Effect …
Omission Bias – when doing nothing feels safer than making a mistake
Do you believe that doing nothing is safer, even if it leads to bad outcomes? That’s Omission Bias –…
Optimism Bias – when you believe things will go well, even if the odds say otherwise
Do you believe bad things happen to others, but not to you? That’s Optimism Bias – the tendency to u…
Ostrich Effect – when you ignore a problem, hoping it will go away
Do you avoid checking your bank balance because you’re afraid of what you’ll see? That’s Ostrich Eff…
Outcome Bias – when you judge a decision by its result, not its quality
Do you think a decision was good just because it led to a positive outcome? That’s Outcome Bias – th…
Pessimism Bias – when you believe everything will go wrong
Do you always expect the worst, even when there’s no real reason to? That’s Pessimism Bias – the ten…
Present Bias – when you choose instant rewards over long-term benefits
Do you think, ‘Better a little now than more later’? That’s Present Bias – the tendency to overvalue…
Plant Blindness – when you fail to notice the green world around you
Do you notice animals, buildings, and cars but overlook trees and flowers? That’s Plant Blindness – …
Prevention Bias – when prevention feels more valuable than response
Do you believe it’s better to invest in preventing problems than detecting and responding to them? T…
Probability Matching – when you guess instead of picking the best option
Do you spread your choices across different options, even when one is clearly better? That’s Probabi…
Pro-Innovation Bias – when new technology seems perfect, and flaws are ignored
Do you believe every new technology is the future while ignoring its flaws? That’s Pro-Innovation Bi…
Projection Bias – when you assume your future self will want what you want now
Do you think your future self will have the same preferences, habits, and values as you do now? That…
Proportionality Bias – when big events must have big causes
Do you struggle to believe that major events can happen by chance? That’s Proportionality Bias – the…
Recency Illusion – when you think something is new just because you recently noticed it
Have you recently noticed a word, trend, or idea and assumed it’s brand new? That’s Recency Illusion…
Systematic Bias – when errors in judgment follow a predictable pattern
Do you think your decisions are objective, but they follow a recurring pattern of errors? That’s Sys…
Peltzman Effect – when feeling safe makes you take more risks
Do you act more recklessly when you feel safe, even though the risk remains? That’s Peltzman Effect …
Surrogation – when the metric becomes more important than the goal
Do you focus so much on numbers that you forget what they represent? That’s Surrogation – the tenden…
Teleological Bias – when you see purpose where there is none
Do you believe everything happens for a reason? That’s Teleological Bias – the tendency to assign pu…
Turkey Illusion – when you assume stability until disaster strikes
Do you assume things will stay the same just because they’ve always been stable? That’s Turkey Illus…
Unit Bias – when you consume everything just because it’s the ‘right’ portion
Do you think a portion is the ‘right amount’ just because it’s served that way? That’s Unit Bias – t…
Value Selection Bias – when you cling to numbers even when they don’t apply
Do you use numbers in a new context just because they exist? That’s Value Selection Bias – the tende…
Weber–Fechner Law – when small differences in big numbers go unnoticed
Can you tell the difference between 1 kg and 2 kg, but not between 101 kg and 102 kg? That’s Weber–F…
Women Are Wonderful Effect – when women are seen more positively than men
Do you think women are naturally kinder, more honest, and caring? That’s Women Are Wonderful Effect …
Authority Bias – when you trust authority figures, even if they’re wrong
Do you tend to trust experts, bosses, or celebrities just because they hold authority? That’s Author…
Halo Effect – when one good trait overshadows everything else
Do you assume someone is smart just because they’re confident and charismatic? That’s Halo Effect – …
Actor-Observer Bias – when you blame circumstances for yourself but personality for others
Late to a meeting? Well, traffic was terrible! Someone else is late? They must be irresponsible. Tha…
Defensive Attribution – when you blame more as the harm gets worse or feels personal
Do you feel a stronger urge to blame someone when an accident is severe or hits close to home? That’…
Extrinsic Incentives Bias – when you think others work for rewards, but you work for passion
Do you think your colleagues work just for money while you do it out of passion? That’s Extrinsic In…
Group Attribution Error – when you judge a whole group based on one person
Did you meet one rude tourist and assume their entire country is like that? That’s Group Attribution…
Hostile Attribution Bias – when you see hostility even where there is none
Did someone bump into you, and you assume it was on purpose? That’s Hostile Attribution Bias – the t…
Intentionality Bias – when you assume everything is done on purpose
Did someone step on your foot, and you assume they did it on purpose? That’s Intentionality Bias – t…
Just-World Hypothesis – when you believe people get what they deserve
Do you think poor people are just lazy and rich people earned their success? That’s Just-World Hypot…
Moral Luck – when you judge morality based on the outcome, not the intent
If someone accidentally hits a pedestrian, they’re a terrible person, but if they just ran a red lig…
Puritanical Bias – when people blame morality instead of circumstances
Do you believe poor people are just lazy? That’s Puritanical Bias – the tendency to blame negative o…
Self-Serving Bias – when success is yours, but failure is someone else’s fault
Got promoted? That’s your talent! Didn’t get promoted? Must be your boss’s bias. That’s Self-Serving…
Ultimate Attribution Error – when you judge an entire group based on a few individuals
If one person from a group does something bad, does that mean they’re all like that? That’s Ultimate…
Availability Cascade – when repeating something enough makes it feel true
The more you hear an idea, the more true it seems? That’s Availability Cascade – a process where inf…
Bandwagon Effect – when you believe or do something just because everyone else does
Did everyone suddenly start wearing weird sneakers – and now you want them too? That’s Bandwagon Eff…
Courtesy Bias – when you hide your real opinion to avoid offending others
Told your friend their new haircut looks great, even though you hate it? That’s Courtesy Bias – the …
Groupthink – when harmony matters more than the right decision
Did everyone in your team agree on a bad idea without questioning it? That’s Groupthink – the tenden…
Groupshift – when groups make riskier or safer choices than individuals
Did your team start off cautious but end up playing it ultra-safe? Or did they go from slightly risk…
Truth Bias – when you believe people, even when they might be lying
Do you naturally trust what people say? That’s Truth Bias – the tendency to assume information is ho…
Ingroup Bias – when what’s ‘ours’ is always better than what’s ‘theirs’
Do you think your team’s way is the best and anything external isn’t worth considering? That’s Ingro…
Outgroup Homogeneity Bias – when ‘they’re all the same,’ but ‘we’re all unique’
Do you feel like your group is diverse, but other groups are all the same? That’s Outgroup Homogenei…
Assumed Similarity Bias – when you think others are more like you than they really are
Do you assume most people think like you? That’s Assumed Similarity Bias – the tendency to believe o…
Outgroup Favoritism – when other groups seem better than your own
Do you feel like other groups always have it better – their culture, their people, their values? Tha…
Pygmalion Effect – when others’ expectations shape your success (or failure)
Do you perform better when people believe in you? That’s Pygmalion Effect – a psychological phenomen…
Reactance – when being told ‘no’ makes you want to do it even more
Does being told ‘no’ make you want to do it even more? That’s Reactance – a psychological response w…
Reactive Devaluation – when an idea seems bad just because of who suggested it
Do you reject a good idea just because it came from your opponent? That’s Reactive Devaluation – the…
Social Comparison Bias – when you favor people who aren’t a threat to your own strengths
Do you hire people who won’t challenge you rather than those who are truly the best? That’s Social C…
Shared Information Bias – when groups focus on what they all know, ignoring new insights
Does your team spend hours discussing obvious facts while ignoring a crucial detail known only to a …
Worse-Than-Average Effect – when you assume you're worse than others at difficult tasks
Do you assume everyone else is better than you at difficult tasks? That’s Worse-Than-Average Effect …
Cryptomnesia – when you think you came up with something new, but it’s actually an old memory
Did you come up with a brilliant idea, only to realize you’d heard it before? That’s Cryptomnesia – …
False Memory – when you ‘remember’ something that never happened
Are you sure you’ve been to a place as a child, but your parents insist you never were? That’s False…
Social Cryptomnesia – when you remember change but forget who fought for it
Do you enjoy rights and freedoms but can’t recall who fought for them? That’s Social Cryptomnesia – …
Source Confusion – when you remember information but forget where it came from
Do you remember a fact but can’t recall whether you read it in a research paper or a social media co…
Suggestibility – when you ‘remember’ things just because someone suggested them
Did someone ask, ‘Do you remember getting lost in a store as a child?’ and now you’re convinced it h…
The Perky Effect – when reality blends with imagination
Did you vividly imagine skydiving and later wonder if it actually happened? That’s The Perky Effect …
Availability Bias – when recent or vivid examples seem more important
Did you hear about a plane crash and now fear flying, even though car accidents are far more common?…
Bizarreness Effect – when weird things stick in memory better than ordinary ones
Do you remember a person in a banana costume better than one in a regular suit? That’s Bizarreness E…
Boundary Extension – when your memory ‘zooms out’ beyond what you actually saw
Do you look at a photo and later recall seeing more details than were actually there? That’s Boundar…
Childhood Amnesia – why we forget our earliest years
Can you remember your third birthday? Probably not. That’s Childhood Amnesia – the natural inability…
Confirmation Bias – when you only notice what supports your beliefs
Do you read news that only confirms what you already believe? That’s Confirmation Bias – the tendenc…
Conservatism Bias – when your memory downplays extremes
Do you remember heavy rain, but in reality, it was a full-blown storm? That’s Conservatism Bias – th…
Consistency Bias – when you believe you’ve always thought the way you do now
Are you convinced you’ve always supported healthy living, but ten years ago you ate fast food daily?…
Continued Influence Effect – when misinformation sticks, even after being debunked
Did you hear a false story, then see it debunked, but still feel like it might be true? That’s Conti…
Context Effect – when memories depend on where and how you recall them
Did you forget what you wanted to say but instantly remember once you walk back into the same room? …
Cross-Race Effect – when faces of other races seem harder to tell apart
Do faces of people from other races seem more similar to you, while faces within your own group are …
Egocentric Bias – when your past seems better than it really was
Do you remember getting straight A’s, but your report card says otherwise? That’s Egocentric Bias – …
Euphoric Recall – when the past feels better than it really was
Do you remember college as the best time of your life but forget the sleepless nights before exams? …
Fading Affect Bias – when bad memories fade faster than good ones
Do you remember your vacation five years ago as perfect, even though it rained and your luggage got …
Generation Effect – when you remember things better if you created them yourself
Do you remember jokes you made up better than ones you heard? That’s Generation Effect – information…
Gender Differences in Eyewitness Memory – when you recall details better about people of your own gender
Do you recall faces and clothing details better when they belong to someone of your own gender? That…
Google Effect – when you forget what you can easily look up online
Can you remember your door code but not your friend’s phone number? That’s Google Effect – the tende…
Hindsight Bias – when the past feels obvious in hindsight
Do you say ‘I knew it all along!’ even though you were uncertain before? That’s Hindsight Bias – the…
Humor Effect – when funny things stick in your memory
Do you remember the professor’s joke but not the lesson itself? That’s Humor Effect – the tendency t…
Illusory Truth Effect – the more you hear it, the truer it seems
Do you believe we use only 10% of our brains, even though it’s a myth? That’s Illusory Truth Effect …
Lag Effect – learning sticks better when spaced out over time
Think cramming all night will help you remember? And then you forget everything the next day? That’s…
Leveling and Sharpening – when some details fade and others get exaggerated
Do you tell a story, and each time it gets more vivid, but some details vanish? That’s Leveling and …
Levels-of-Processing Effect – how you learn determines how well you remember
Did you read a textbook but remember nothing, while the topic you explained to a friend stuck? That’…
List-Length Effect – the longer the list, the less you recall… but the more you retain
Do you remember a higher percentage of items from a short list than from a long one, but still retai…
Memory Inhibition – when remembering some things makes you forget others
Did you recall part of a list, but the rest vanished from memory? That’s Memory Inhibition – when re…
Misinformation Effect – when false details alter your memories
Do you swear you saw something at an event, even though it wasn’t there? That’s Misinformation Effec…
Modality Effect – you remember the last items better when you hear them
Do you remember the last words of a speaker better than the last lines of a book? That’s Modality Ef…
Mood-Congruent Memory Bias – you remember what matches your mood
When you’re sad, do you recall all your failures? And when you're happy, only the best moments? That…
Negativity Bias – when bad memories stick stronger than good ones
Can you recall one hurtful comment from years ago but forget all the compliments you’ve received? Th…
Next-in-Line Effect – when you don’t remember what was said right before your turn
Do you rehearse your speech in your head instead of listening to the person speaking before you? Tha…
Part-List Cueing Effect – when recalling one item makes others harder to remember
Struggling to recall a to-do list, but the more you remember, the harder it gets to retrieve the res…
Peak–End Rule – you judge experiences by their most intense moment and the ending
Do you remember a trip as amazing, even though most of it was boring, just because it had a magical …
Persistence – when traumatic memories keep coming back
Trying to forget a painful event, but it keeps coming back? That’s Persistence – when the brain forc…
Picture Superiority Effect – images stick in memory better than words
Can you remember a person’s face faster than their name? Or a company’s logo but not its slogan? Tha…
Placement Bias – you either overrate or underrate yourself
Do you see yourself as better than others at things you’re good at, and worse than others at things …
Positivity Effect – as we age, we remember more good than bad
Ever noticed that older people recall happy moments more than tough times? That’s Positivity Effect …
Primacy Effect – you remember the first items best
Do you recall the first items on a list but struggle with the middle? That’s Primacy Effect – inform…
Recency Effect – the last things stick in memory best
Do you remember the last words of a conversation but forget the middle? That’s Recency Effect – the …
Reminiscence Bump – your youth stands out in memory
Why do you vividly recall your first parties, first job, or first love but not recent events? That’s…
Rosy Retrospection – the past seems better than it really was
Do you remember school as fun and carefree, even though you used to complain about homework? Or thin…
Saying Is Believing Effect – when you start believing what you say
Have you ever adjusted a story to fit your audience, only to later believe that version yourself? Th…
Self-Relevance Effect – you remember things better when they relate to you
Do you easily recall stories you were part of but forget those about others? That’s Self-Relevance E…
Serial Position Effect – you remember the first and last, but forget the middle
Do you clearly remember how a lecture started and ended, but the middle feels blurry? That’s Serial …
Spotlight Effect – you think everyone is watching, but they’re not
Forgot to button your shirt and feel like everyone noticed? Said something awkward and now think it’…
Stereotype Bias – memory distorts facts to fit expectations
Are you sure you saw a female secretary and a male boss, even though it was the other way around? Th…
Suffix Effect – the last thing is harder to recall if something follows it
Can you easily recall the last word in a list, but if something follows it, it disappears? That’s Su…
Subadditivity Effect – the whole seems less likely than the sum of its parts
If told there’s a 10% chance of flooding in your city, you’d accept it. But if broken down into ‘flo…
Tachypsychia – when time slows down or speeds up in extreme situations
Have you ever felt like time slowed down in a moment of danger? Or that it flew by when you were dee…
Telescoping Effect – recent events feel distant, and distant ones feel recent
Are you convinced that a movie from two years ago just came out yesterday? Or that a recent event ha…
Testing Effect – self-testing beats passive repetition
Do you reread textbooks repeatedly but still forget the material? Try testing yourself! That’s Testi…
Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon – when you know a word but just can’t recall it
You KNOW the word, it’s right there… but you just can’t say it? That’s Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon …
Travis Syndrome – when the present seems more significant than any other time
Do you feel like we’re living through the most important time in history? That’s Travis Syndrome – t…
Verbatim Effect – you remember the gist, not the exact words
Do you remember what a conversation was about, but not the exact words? That’s Verbatim Effect – our…
Von Restorff Effect – the odd one out is easiest to remember
Can you forget a long list but remember the one strange word in it? That’s Von Restorff Effect – our…
Zeigarnik Effect – unfinished tasks stay on your mind
Do unfinished tasks keep running through your mind? That’s Zeigarnik Effect – the brain remembers in…