Cognitive biases are systematic tendencies in attention, memory, or judgment. Familiar examples include anchoring on initial information, seeking support for existing beliefs, and overestimating the importance of events that come readily to mind.
Knowing a label is not a cure
Memorizing a list of biases does not reliably correct every judgment. It can even become a way to dismiss other people by assuming that only they are biased.
Change procedures, not just vocabulary
Record observations before proposing explanations. Deliberately search for contrary evidence. Set evaluation criteria before comparing alternatives. Ask people to make independent judgments before group discussion. These practices may help more than merely naming a bias after the fact.
Read the research carefully
The expression and magnitude of a bias vary with task design, measurement, culture, and expertise. Results from one experimental setting should not automatically be generalized to every real-world decision.