Tag: bias
Truthiness and the origins of "fake news"
November 15, 2017 | Post
If I have my news, and you have yours, and both of us rely on truthiness — the uncontestable “essential” truth of our beliefs, regardless of facts — it’s impossible to have a conversation.
Partisan politics makes smart people stupid
November 8, 2016 | Post
Highly informed voters are also highly biased. That’s a serious problem for democracy, but also for any other system of political decision-making in big groups.
Of course your candidate won the debate
October 20, 2016 | Post
On this morning after the third presidential debate, ask yourself: am I assessing my favored candidate objectively, or simply as a function of what I want or expected?
Super Tuesday: 4 Traps American Voters Need to Avoid at All Costs
March 1, 2016 | Post
It’s election season and you’re ready to vote. You’ve carefully researched the candidates and their platforms, so you’re pretty certain your vote will be an informed one. But before you cast your vote at the polls, take some time to reflect on these four cognitive biases, or traps, and how they impact your voting decisions. […]
Biases and Americans’ support for bombing the city from Aladdin
January 6, 2016 | Post
A recent survey showed that 30% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats said they would support bombing Agrabah. For those of you who haven’t watched Disney’s Aladdin recently, Agrabah is the fictional city in which the movie takes place. While it’s disheartening to realize the level of ignorance about geography and culture a question like this […]