Cognitive Biases

verb to explain or discuss something in excessive detail or to excess

• The professor continued to belabor the point in order to ensure all students understood the concept.
• I wish my boss wouldn't belabor every minor detail during our team meetings.
• Stop belaboring the issue and just get to the point already.
• She belabored the painting until every stroke was perfect, not wanting to leave any detail unfinished.

noun a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adjective a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

• The jury seemed blind to the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution.
• She's completely blind to the fact that he's not interested in her.
• He's blind to the fact that everyone knows he's lying.
• Some people are blind to their own faults and shortcomings.

noun a style of argument or debate characterized by the use of overly intricate or convoluted reasoning

verb to engage in or use chop logic

• The philosopher was known for his ability to chop logic and debate complex ideas.
• Stop trying to chop logic and just admit you were wrong.
• She's always trying to chop logic to make herself look smarter.
• When faced with a difficult decision, it's important not to chop logic and instead listen to your instincts.

noun a member of a cult, often characterized by extreme devotion to a particular belief or leader

• The cultist was arrested for his involvement in the illegal activities of the group.
• I heard that the cultist got caught doing some shady stuff.
• That cultist dude is always up to no good.
• She was a cultist of fashion, always following the latest trends.

adjective capable of being deluded or deceived

• The advertisement was carefully crafted to appeal to deludable consumers.
• Don't be so deludable, that deal sounds too good to be true.
• I can't believe you fell for that, you're so deludable.
• Her dreams of becoming a famous singer were deludable at best.

verb to twist or change something out of its usual, natural, or original shape or condition

• The artist used a special technique to distort the image in his painting.
• Don't distort the facts just to win an argument.
• Stop trying to twist the truth and distort what really happened.
• Her anger seemed to distort her perception of reality.

noun a mistake or error in judgment that has negative consequences

• Making a false move in the stock market can result in significant financial losses.
• You better not make a false move during the game or you'll lose.
• If you make a false move, you're screwed.
• In the game of politics, one false move can end a career.

noun a lie or untrue statement

adjective not in accordance with the truth or facts

• The defendant was found guilty of spreading falsehoods about the company's financial status.
• Don't believe everything you hear, there are a lot of falsehoods going around.
• I can't stand people who spread fake news and falsehoods.
• His entire argument was built on a foundation of falsehoods and half-truths.

noun a tendency to criticize or complain about others

adjective constantly looking for flaws or mistakes in others

• The constant fault-finding in the project review meeting was counterproductive.
• Stop with all the fault-finding, let's just get the job done.
• She's always on a fault-finding mission, it's so annoying.
• His fault-finding attitude is like a dark cloud hovering over the team's morale.

noun a particular behavior that has become automatic through repetition

• Despite her best efforts, she found herself reaching for her phone out of force of habit.
• I still tie my left shoe before my right out of force of habit.
• I always check my pockets for my keys, it's just force of habit at this point.
• He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness every time he passed her favorite coffee shop, out of force of habit.

noun the act of taking hold of something firmly

verb to take hold of or seize firmly

adjective showing a keen understanding or ability to comprehend quickly

• The student was praised for her excellent grasping of complex mathematical concepts.
• I'm still grasping the new software, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
• I had a hard time grasping the slang words they were using, but eventually caught on.
• She struggled with grasping the idea of forgiveness, but eventually found peace.

noun a heuristic method or process

adjective relating to or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods

• The scientist used a heuristic approach to solve the complex problem.
• He used a rule of thumb to figure out the answer.
• He just went with his gut feeling to make a decision.
• His heuristic was like a compass guiding him through the maze of possibilities.

adjective giving the appearance of being real or true but actually false or misleading

• The idea of a perfect society free from conflict is often illusory.
• Don't be fooled by the illusory promises of get-rich-quick schemes.
• That party was illusory - nothing like we expected.
• His hopes of becoming a famous actor were shattered when he realized they were illusory.

noun a lack of attention or care; a mistake made through lack of attention

• The mistake was a result of inadvertence on the part of the employee.
• I think the error was just a case of inadvertence, nothing intentional.
• Oops, that was a total inadvertence on my part.
• Inadvertence is like a silent thief, stealing away our attention without us realizing.

noun the quality or state of being irrational; lack of rationality or reason

adjective irrational

• The decision was based on pure irrationality and lacked any logical reasoning.
• Her fear of spiders was just pure irrationality, she knows they can't hurt her.
• Stop being so irrational, there's no need to overreact like that.
• The irrationality of his actions left everyone puzzled and confused.

noun a person's job or work

preposition to be burdened or encumbered by something

• Many employees labor under the misconception that they are entitled to unlimited sick leave.
• I can't believe they still labor under the impression that the meeting is at 2 PM.
• Don't labor under the delusion that you can get away with skipping class.
• She seemed to labor under the weight of the world on her shoulders.

noun A lump is a compact mass of a substance, especially one without a definite or regular shape.

adverb Together is used to indicate that people or things are with each other or in a group.

• It is not accurate to lump together all the different research findings without considering their individual nuances.
• Don't just lump together all the clothes in one pile, organize them by category.
• Let's not lump together all the music genres, each one has its own unique style.
• It's unfair to lump together all introverts as being shy and quiet, they have different personalities just like extroverts.

verb to dismiss or disregard something as unimportant or insignificant

• She tried to explain her side of the story, but he seemed to make nothing of her words.
• I told him about my concerns, but he just made nothing of it.
• I poured my heart out to her, but she totally made nothing of my feelings.
• The artist's abstract painting seemed to make nothing of traditional artistic conventions.

noun a wrong or incorrect direction or instruction

verb to give (someone) wrong directions or instructions

• The detective realized the criminal had tried to misdirect the investigation by planting false evidence.
• Don't let him misdirect you with his excuses, he's just trying to avoid taking responsibility.
• She's always trying to misdirect people to cover up her mistakes.
• The magician used misdirection to make the audience believe the coin had disappeared.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case 'mistaken' describes something that is incorrect or wrong

• I believe you may be mistaken in your understanding of the situation.
• You're mistaken if you think I'm going to do all the work for you.
• Don't be mistaken, she's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve.
• His mistaken belief led him down the wrong path.

noun a noun is a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• His overconfidence in his abilities led to his downfall in the competition.
• She was so overconfident that she didn't even bother preparing for the presentation.
• Don't get too cocky, your overconfidence might cost you in the end.
• His overconfidence was like a blindfold, preventing him from seeing the reality of the situation.

noun a deceptive or misleading argument

• The philosopher pointed out the paralogism in the argument, highlighting the logical fallacy.
• I think there's a paralogism in your reasoning, it doesn't quite add up.
• Your argument is full of paralogisms, you need to work on your logic.
• The paralogism in her story was like a tangled web of confusion.

adjective formed or conceived beforehand; existing in the mind prior to experience

• It is important to approach the research without any preconceived notions.
• Don't go into the movie with any preconceived ideas about it.
• Try not to have any preconceived judgments about the new restaurant.
• She entered the debate with a preconceived strategy in mind.

verb to impress or bias in advance; to make a positive impression on someone before meeting them

• Her elegant attire and graceful demeanor prepossessed everyone at the gala.
• His charming smile and friendly personality prepossessed the new neighbors.
• The new movie prepossessed me with its amazing special effects.
• The idea of traveling to exotic locations prepossessed her mind with wanderlust.

noun a preconceived opinion or bias; a preexisting condition or state of mind

adjective prepossessing - creating a favorable impression beforehand

• Her prepossession towards classical music made her a dedicated patron of the symphony orchestra.
• I can tell by his prepossession with vintage cars that he's a real enthusiast.
• Don't let your prepossession with designer labels blind you to other fashion options.
• His prepossession with finding the perfect solution often hindered his ability to make decisions quickly.

noun a belief that something is true without having actual proof or evidence

adjective presumptuous (showing excessive confidence or boldness)

• The judge reminded the jury to not make any presumption of guilt without sufficient evidence.
• Don't jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts, it's just a presumption.
• People always make presumptions about others based on appearances, it's so frustrating.
• In the world of business, having a presumption of success can sometimes lead to taking unnecessary risks.

noun The act of deceiving oneself or the state of being deceived by oneself.

• Self-deception is a psychological defense mechanism in which an individual denies or distorts reality to protect their ego.
• Stop with the self-deception and face the truth about your situation.
• Don't fool yourself with self-deception, you know what's really going on.
• His self-deception was like wearing blinders, unable to see the truth right in front of him.

verb to assume that something will always be there or will always be done without thinking about it

preposition used together to form a phrasal verb meaning to not appreciate or value something properly

• It is unwise to take for granted the stability of the economy.
• Don't take for granted the love and support of your family.
• I used to take my job for granted until I got laid off.
• She realized she had been taking her health for granted when she got sick.

adjective not done on purpose; accidental

• The unintentional error in the report was quickly rectified by the team.
• I made an unintentional mistake on the project, but I fixed it right away.
• I accidentally sent an unintentional text to my ex, oops!
• His unintentional slip of the tongue revealed more than he intended.

noun lack of reason or good sense; irrationality

• The decision to cut funding for the program was met with unreason by the stakeholders.
• I can't believe the unreason behind their refusal to compromise.
• It's pure unreason to think you can get away with cheating on the test.
• His unreason was like a dark cloud that overshadowed every discussion we had.

adjective exceeding the limits of reason or moderation

• The customer's demand for a full refund without providing any proof of purchase was deemed unreasonable by the store manager.
• I think it's unreasonable for you to expect me to drop everything and help you right now.
• It's totally cray cray to think that kind of behavior is acceptable.
• His expectations were so high, they were floating in the clouds of unreasonableness.

adjective not thinking or using reason; thoughtless

• He acted in an unthinking manner, not considering the consequences of his actions.
• She made an unthinking decision without really thinking it through.
• Don't be so unthinking, dude. Think before you act.
• His unthinking behavior was like a train running off its tracks, causing chaos everywhere.

noun a quality or state of being unclear, indefinite, or lack of precision

• The contract was filled with vagueness, making it difficult to understand the terms.
• Her explanation was full of vagueness, I couldn't really follow what she was saying.
• I hate it when people talk in vagueness, just get to the point!
• The fog enveloped the landscape, creating a sense of vagueness and mystery.

noun a person who has a tendency to dream or fantasize

• The wishful thinker believed that his dreams would come true without any effort.
• Don't be such a wishful thinker, you need to be more realistic about your goals.
• She's just a wishful thinker, always hoping for things that are unlikely to happen.
• Being a wishful thinker can sometimes lead to disappointment when reality doesn't match your dreams.

noun a belief or hope that something desired will happen, even though it is unlikely or impossible

• The belief that the economy will magically improve without any concrete plans is just wishful thinking.
• Thinking that he will ask you out without any indication is just wishful thinking.
• Hoping to win the lottery without buying a ticket is pure wishful thinking.
• Believing that she will suddenly change her mind is just wishful thinking.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

• The planning fallacy refers to the tendency for individuals to underestimate the time, costs, and risks involved in completing a project.
• We fell victim to the planning fallacy and ended up way behind schedule on the construction project.
• Don't let the planning fallacy get you - always add extra time and resources to your estimates.
• The planning fallacy is like wearing rose-colored glasses when it comes to project timelines.

noun a tendency to judge a decision based on its outcome rather than the quality of the decision-making process

• The outcome bias occurs when decisions are judged based on the result rather than the quality of the decision-making process.
• People tend to have outcome bias when they only focus on the end result and not how the decision was made.
• Don't let outcome bias cloud your judgment, sometimes the process is more important than the outcome.
• Just because the outcome was successful doesn't mean the decision-making process was sound, watch out for outcome bias.

noun the Ikea effect

• The Ikea effect refers to the psychological phenomenon where people place a higher value on products they have partially created themselves.
• Have you heard of the Ikea effect? It's when you become attached to something you've put together from Ikea.
• Ikea effect is when you get emotionally attached to that piece of furniture you built yourself.
• The Ikea effect can also be seen in relationships, where people value more those they have invested time and effort in building a connection with.

noun a belief or ideology that prioritizes having or eating cake over other considerations or responsibilities

• Cakeism is a term used to describe the practice of advocating for both sides of an argument in order to avoid making a decision.
• I can't stand people who engage in cakeism, just pick a side already!
• Stop cakeism-ing and make up your mind!
• Her cakeism approach to politics leaves everyone confused about where she really stands.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

conjunction a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses

• Some individuals are born on third and think they hit a triple, meaning they believe they achieved success without putting in the necessary effort.
• There are people who are born on third and think they hit a triple, thinking they're special when they're really not.
• Those born on third and think they hit a triple are just lucky fools who don't realize it.
• She acts like she was born on third and thinks she hit a triple, always expecting things to come easy to her.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality (effect)

• The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability.
• You know that guy who always thinks he's the best at everything? That's the Dunning-Kruger effect in action.
• Some people just don't know what they don't know, thanks to the Dunning-Kruger effect.
• The Dunning-Kruger effect is like wearing blinders that prevent you from seeing your own incompetence.

noun a phenomenon where presenting evidence that contradicts a person's belief can actually strengthen their original belief

• The backfire effect occurs when presenting evidence contrary to a person's beliefs actually strengthens those beliefs.
• Trying to prove someone wrong can sometimes have the opposite effect and make them believe even more strongly - that's the backfire effect.
• Debunking myths can sometimes backfire and make people believe in them even more, it's like a reverse psychology thing.
• It's like throwing fuel on a fire - trying to change someone's mind with facts can often result in the backfire effect.

adjective describing someone who is extremely fanatical or crazed in their beliefs or behavior

• The swivel-eyed man presented a detailed report at the board meeting.
• I can't believe that swivel-eyed guy thinks he can get away with lying.
• That swivel-eyed dude is always causing drama wherever he goes.
• Her swivel-eyed obsession with perfection was starting to affect her relationships.

noun a condition in which individuals ignore or fail to notice advertisements, often due to overexposure or desensitization

• Ad blindness is a common phenomenon where consumers tend to ignore or overlook advertisements.
• I think I have ad blindness because I hardly notice any ads anymore.
• Ad blindness is when you just zone out all the ads, you know?
• His ad blindness towards traditional marketing tactics made it challenging for advertisers to grab his attention.

noun the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true

adjective relating to or characteristic of truthiness

• The concept of truthiness refers to the quality of seeming or being felt as true, even if not necessarily true in reality.
• People tend to believe in truthiness rather than seeking out actual facts sometimes.
• Don't just go by truthiness, do your research and find the real truth.
• Her argument was based more on truthiness than on concrete evidence.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

• The recency illusion is a cognitive bias where people overestimate the importance of recent information.
• I think I fell for the recency illusion when I made my decision based on the most recent feedback.
• Don't let the recency illusion trick you into thinking that just because it happened recently, it's more important.
• The recency illusion is like wearing blinders that only let you see what's right in front of you.

noun a tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses

• Confirmation bias refers to the tendency of individuals to favor information that confirms their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.
• People often fall victim to confirmation bias by only seeking out information that supports what they already believe.
• Confirmation bias is like having blinders on, only seeing what you want to see.
• In a world of confirmation bias, it's like wearing rose-colored glasses that only show you the positives.

noun a fictional or made-up word with no specific definition or meaning

• The spoffle was an important tool used in the scientific experiment.
• I accidentally spilled my drink on the spoffle, oops!
• Hey, can you pass me that spoffle over there?
• Her words were like a spoffle, stirring up emotions in everyone around her.

noun A word that describes an adjective, often used in linguistics or grammar discussions.

• The concept of an abjective is a grammatical term used to describe a word that has both adjectival and verbal characteristics.
• I'm still trying to wrap my head around what exactly an abjective is in English class.
• I heard some people refer to tricky grammar rules as abjectives, but I'm not sure if that's the right term.
• Her ability to adapt to any situation is like an abjective, constantly shifting and changing.

noun a Latin phrase that means 'to the person' and is used to describe an argument that attacks a person's character or traits instead of focusing on the issue at hand

• It is important to avoid making ad hominem attacks during a debate.
• Don't resort to ad hominem arguments when discussing politics with your friends.
• He always gets so defensive and starts with the ad hominem insults.
• Using ad hominem attacks is like fighting dirty in an argument.