How our beliefs guide our perception: the truth behind cognitive biases

From the multitude of cognitive biases identified in psychology, a new model is emerging, proposing that most of these biases may stem from fundamental beliefs and a way of processing information that is consistent with these beliefs.

Cognitive biases, once little-known, are now a common topic of discussion. However, their overuse can sometimes obscure our understanding. Research in psychology has revealed more than 150 such biases, but this depends on the theoretical framework adopted (ecological rationality, for example, does not consider heuristics to be biases).

Researchers at the University of Hagen in Germany propose a more concise approach: seeing bias through the prism of our fundamental beliefs and our processing of information in line with these beliefs.

Our fundamental beliefs :

Fundamental beliefs are assumptions about the world that permeate our minds with a certain precision. According to researchers, these beliefs are common to all human beings. In psychology, it is well established that we are 'machines' for generating beliefs, whether they derive from patterns, models, stereotypes or generalisations based on our environment.

Even when this is not rational, we form beliefs because we lack alternative models for understanding the world and our place in it. Religion is a case in point, providing structured beliefs. According to these researchers, beliefs are ubiquitous and essential to human cognition. They argue that our cognitive biases result from fundamental beliefs such as "my experience is a reasonable reference for thinking" or "I make correct assessments of events", because our processing of information is aligned with these beliefs.

Biased treatment of information:

Psychology has also shown that our processing of information is biased in favour of our beliefs. We tend to confirm our hypotheses, discredit opposing beliefs and defend our own beliefs. This way of processing affects all stages, from perception to the search for information. Researchers therefore believe that this way of processing information is unique to humans, independent of any motivation, and that most biases are derivatives of the confirmation bias.

Examples of Bias according to this model:

The researchers illustrate their model by taking several biases as examples. For example, the projector effect, the transparency illusion and the false consensus effect all stem from the fundamental belief that "my personal experience is a reasonable reference", associated with coherent information processing. The projector effect and the transparency illusion involve projecting our experiences onto others, while the false consensus effect involves assuming that others share our beliefs.

Honesty and intellectual empathy as solutions:

In conclusion, the researchers point out that most strategies aimed at countering bias are not effective. However, they stress that questioning one's own beliefs with honesty and considering opposing positions while actively seeking arguments to support them is an effective strategy. Rather than avoiding bias, developing epistemic virtues such as honesty and intellectual empathy may be the best approach to shaking up our deeply biased beliefs.