About Psychology: The Hidden Biases That Shape Our Behavior

If you can't see this email, click here

Psychology Psychology Basics Theories Experiments From Kendra Cherry, your Guide to Psychology In this week's newsletter, we will be taking a closer look at some of the different cognitive biases that influence how we think and act. Some highlights include: A definition of cognitive biases A bias that leads us to take credit for our success, but blame outside factors for our failures A bias that causes us to think that attractive people are also smarter and friendlier A bias that makes us ignore information that conflicts with our existing opinions What Exactly Is a Cognitive Bias? Cognitive biases influence how we think and can lead to errors in decisions and judgments. How do these biases work? What impact do they have? Learn more Search Related Topics:  cognitive biases  heuristics  The Self-Serving Bias We have a tendency to believe that our successes are due to internal traits and talents, while our failures are caused by variables outside of our control. This is an example of what is known as the self-serving bias... Learn more Search Related Topics:  self-serving bias  cogntive biases  self-esteem The Halo Effect This type of cognitive bias is also sometimes referred to as the "what is beautiful is good" bias. Discover how it might be influencing your assessments and impressions of the people around you... Learn more Search Related Topics:  halo effect  cognitive biases  edward thorndike The Confirmation Bias Another common cognitive bias involves our tendency to look for information that supports our already existing opinions. Discover how this cognitive bias works and how it affect the judgements and decisions you make... Learn more Related Searches Cognitive Psychology Social Psychology Psychology Studies Cognitive Behavior Psychology Research Featured Articles What Is Personal Construct Theory? Train Your Brain Now to Reap Long-Term Rewards Who Was Albert Ellis? The Psychology of Flow Types of Nonverbal Communication 10 of the Most Influential Psychologists   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...> This newsletter is written by: Kendra Cherry Psychology Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Psychology newsletter. If you wish to change your email address, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2014 About.com   Must Reads "Like" the About Psychology Facebook Page Psychologist or Psychiatrist: What's the Difference? What Can You Do With a Bachelor's In Psychology? Does Having a High IQ Make People More Successful? 10 Ways to Improve Your Memory   Follow me on: Advertisement