Naive Cynicism – The Distrust Bias

When people mistakenly assume that others are more egocentrically biased than they actually are, it can lead to naïve cynicism, a cognitive bias and type of psychological egoization. Unlike healthy skepticism, it overgeneralizes and impairs objective judgement. This bias stems from a protective mechanism; it mitigates disappointment from unmet expectations and aligns with one’s preconceived…

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Self Regulation Theory and Examples

Self-regulation refers to the ability to manage one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to reach a desired goal. Psychologists such as Albert Bandura and Roy Baumeister have contributed significantly to our understanding of this construct. Self-regulation involves multiple stages. Throughout the stages, individuals must contribute to their own motivation, conduct, and growth within a network of…

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The Halo Effect May Vary Across Crime Types

You might think attractive people get preferential treatment in life – and research suggests you’d be right. Some psychologists have shown this can even help people get a lighter prison sentence. More recently, however, our own study suggests that this “halo effect” is, in fact, more complicated. The halo effect is a psychological term describing…

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Langer’s Illusion of Control

The illusion of control refers to people’s inclination to overestimate their power to control events. It was named by Ellen Langer, a psychologist from the United States, and is thought to impact gambling behavior and paranormal beliefs. The illusion of control, like illusory superiority and optimism bias, is a positive illusion. The illusion could arise…

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Egocentric Bias: How Personal Perspective Skews Judgment

Egocentric bias is a cognitive bias that influences one to rely too heavily on their own perspective and experiences when evaluating events surrounding them, as well as the feelings and behaviors of others. Individuals with an egocentric bias may believe others share the same opinion as they do. This illusion of transparency can lead to misunderstandings, as it assumes…

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New Drug Molecule Inhibits Stress Hormone Receptor Activity

Stress is not just an oppressive feeling encountered when one is overburdened; rather, it constitutes the body’s inherent response to acute or persistent strain. The stress response is responsible for facilitating prompt adaptation to peril or changes in circumstances. However, should this physiological reaction — vital for survival — escalate and persist indefinitely, it can…

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Superior Colliculus More Important for Vision Than Previously Thought

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience discovered that the superior colliculus, a brain area preserved through evolution, is more important for vision than previously thought. Upon visual inspection, an object can be readily differentiated from the surrounding context. Despite the apparent simplicity of this, the manner in which our brain achieves it remains quite…

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Restoring Mitochondrial Synapse Connections to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

Nerve cells in the brain require an immense quantity of energy to maintain their connections for communication with other nerve cells and to survive. Energy production is impaired in Alzheimer’s disease, and synaptic connections eventually deteriorate and fail, resulting in the loss of new memories. A Scripps Research team has now identified the energetic reactions…

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What is the Bias Blind Spot?

The Bias Blind Spot represents a discrepancy in recognition of cognitive bias — the difference between one’s self-perceived objectivity and the reality of one’s own biases. Cognitive biases represent a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, wherein subjective reality, through the filter of personal experiences and preferences, shapes and distorts objective…

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