It's the first day of class, and your professor has just finished her introduction. As you leave, you hear a student tell her friend, "Ugh, this class is not going to be fun. Almost everyone who takes her class will barely pass with a C."
What?!
You go home, check the ratings on this professor, and find a few comments about how difficult the class is. A majority of the comments are positive, but still! Are you doomed to fail? Should you drop the class while you can?
Don't panic yet! This is an example of availability bias, and you shouldn't let it scare you! What is it, how can it affect your decisions, and what can you do to avoid this trap?
What is availability bias?
Availability bias (a.k.a. "availability heuristic") happens when people base their decisions on recent memory and quick examples. It is the brain's shortcut in "estimating the probability or risk of something."
For example, if you were asked if more words started with "t" or "k," you'd most likely say "t" because more words that start with it come to mind. Availability bias can be used for quick calculations like this,but it can easily be skewed to draw fear and false conclusions.
Imagine you're watching a documentary about dangers in the ocean, and you see multiple stories about shark attacks. You may begin to think that these events are common, which causes you to avoid swimming in the ocean.
This is an example of how the availability bias can work against you! In reality, shark attacks are rare, but because you've been exposed to a lot of content about shark attacks, you believe there is a high risk of being attacked.
How can availability bias affect your decision-making?
Under availability bias, you're heavily influenced by the first thing that comes to mind. This can affect your decision-making by:
Making you rush into poor choices. If you consider only one piece of information, you miss out on evidence that could help you make a more informed decision (Ex. Going for the first option before you get to consider other ideas).
Overestimating/underestimating certain events or risks. Recent and memorable events can skew your understanding of how often something occurs or the consequences of your actions (Ex. Thinking about recent reports on shark attacks).
Causing unnecessary fear. If you immediately recall dramatic or emotional events, they may make you anxious and warp your perception. This causes you to misjudge risks and make poor decisions (Ex. Thinking about the time you saw a plane crash on the news).
How can you avoid availability bias?
How can you make smarter choices without letting the availability bias affect your decisions?
Pause and think before jumping to conclusions. Understand the information you have and give yourself time to think things through. Your first thought may not always be right, so avoid rushing into a decision.
Separate emotions from facts. Emotions and personal experience can skew the truth about events and data. To make logical choices, base your decisions on facts and evidence so that strong emotions don't cause anxiety or flawed decisions.
Use multiple sources. This bias is only a shortcut that helps you remember recent or memorable information, so don't always take it as the only source you have. Open up to other pieces of evidence to inform yourself and make the best decision.
Consider outliers. If the information sounds too extreme or rare, the availability bias may use it to skew your point of view. Focus on trends and patterns to see if your information is rational.
Quiz: Picking a training partner
James has been holding off on his training and is now rushing to complete it. He is deciding if he should partner with Jessie or Meowth.
Jessie has completed many important training missions in the past, whereas Meowth has had a few slip-ups. Recently, Meowth completed a big mission and was even recognized by their boss. James decided to partner up with Meowth.
How is this an example of the availability bias influencing James' choice to pick Meowth over Jessie? Select all that apply:
A. James is rushing to choose a partner.
B. James is comparing Jessie's past failures to Meowth's recent successes.
C. James is afraid of retaliation from Meowth.
D. James is putting too much emphasis on Meowth's recent success.
Quiz
Select all that apply:
Take Action
Back to the class you wanted to drop: You recognize that the availability bias is taking over and don't let the negative comments affect you. You remind yourself that the majority of the reviews are positive and that you will ultimately be the judge, so you keep the class and prepare your books.
The availability bias is powerful, but taking a step back to look at the big picture can put things into perspective. Realizing that things may not be as bad or dramatic as they appear to be can help you make level-headed decisions and avoid jumping to conclusions!
What steps can you take to avoid availability bias?
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