BIASES and Information Disorder

Biases and information disorder

Halo Effect

Our brains can take mental "shortcuts" when processing information. We call them biases.Click on the words to find out more.

Our brains have evolved to quickly judge what we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. We can imagine what happened to early humans who could not distinguish a dangerous animal from an inoffensive one, just like we can imagine what can happen today if someone is too slow to react when they hear "watch out!". This ability to quickly judge also causes our brains to take mental short cuts or make mistakes by judging too quickly or even prejudging information. We call these short cuts biases. Take a look in this presentation at some of the most common biases.

ConfirmationBias

FramingEffect

Backfiring Effect

Anchoring Bias

In-Group Bias

Biases

Our brains have evolved to quickly judge what we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. We can easily imagine what happened to early humans who could not distinguish a dangerous animal from an inoffensive one, just like we can imagine what can happen today if someone is too slow to react when they hear: “Watch out!”. Today however, this adaptation from our brains can actually create shortcuts in judgement or result in prejudging information we hear or read. These are called biases. Let’s see how they can affect our critical judgement. Characteristics of Biases:

• Affect judgement or decisions;
• Reflect a preference or prejudice;
• Are often unconscious or unintentional;
• Are an emotional response;
• Can trigger more biases;
• Can be expressed by anyone;
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates;
• Can twist facts to fit someone’s comprehension of things.

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What is it?

We prefer and agree with ideas that fit our beliefs, and ignore and reject information that don't. Watch this video about echo chambers to better understand the relationship between echo chambers, misinformation and confirmation bias.

Confirmation Bias

We prefer information and opinions that confirm our beliefs.

How do echo chambers, misinformation and confirmation bias interact?

What is it?

The more evidence we are shown that suggests we are wrong, the more we tend to stick to our beliefs instead of accepting other options. Watch this video to better understand how this effect can "hurt" us.

Backfiring Effect

We think people try to prove us wrong because they know we're right.

How can information disorder contribute to the backfiring effect and vice-versa?

What is it?

Depending on how we identify with or against a group can impact how we communicate. Watch this video and try to see different ways this bias could affect authors and audiences.

In-Group Bias

We tend to perceive and treat people that belong to our group more favourably.

How can the harm caused by in-group biases be transferred to information disorder?

What is it?

How an issue or information is presented can determine how this information will be received. Word choice and appearances can make you judge information in various ways.Click on this picture to better understand how this effect can influence us.

Framing Effect

The way information is presented affects our judgement of this information.

How can the framing effect be used by authors?How can this bias affect an audience's judgement?How can the framing effect contribute to information disorder?

What is it?

How attractive or ugly we find someone or how we like or dislike them can influence how we receive the information that comes with them. Watch this video from 1:58 to 3:38 to better understand how this effect pushes us to accept or reject information .

Halo effect

Our impression of the messenger can affect the message.

How can the halo effect contribute to information disorder?

What is it?

Once our brain has a first impression or understanding of new information, it can become an anchoring point to consider new information from. Looking at that headline or that picture, someone's first impresion might be that electric cars are dangerous, when in fact they are not more likely to burn than gas cars.

anchoring Bias

Our first impression can be an achor for how we perceive newer information.

How can other biases affect the "weight" of anchor biases when receiving new information?

Headline: CNN Business, added image: Flickr