Personal biases reflection paper (Essay Sample)

Personal Biases Reflection Paper Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name Instructor’s Name Date Personal Biases Reflection Paper Introduction Human cognitive biases are systematic deviations from objective reality that lead to illogical judgments and decisions (Korteling et al., 2023). Since our brains utilize mental shortcuts and heuristics to interpret information, biases are crucial to cognition. Adjustable shortcuts can impair judgment, reinforce assumptions, and skew decisions. Unconscious cognitive biases affect perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours, which is problematic. Biases affect reality and influence judgments. Objective decision-making, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking are needed. Addressing cognitive biases promotes personal growth and social justice. This analysis investigates human biases to increase self-awareness and reduce their impact on thoughts and actions. Society can become more informed and equal by understanding these biases and their effects and making more nuanced and fair assessments (Newman, 2017). Encourage self-reflection on prejudices and their repercussions with this paper. Cognitive Biases Confirmation Bias Confirmation bias is one of the main cognitive biases that affect my thinking. This bias happens when one ignores conflicting evidence and seeks interpretation to support one's beliefs (Michel & Peters, 2020). I have realized instances in which I selectively paid attention to information that supported my beliefs and ignored data that disputed them. For example, when discussing social or political issues, I often refer to news items or opinion pieces that align with my views. I subconsciously dismissed alternative ideas that could have deepened my understanding. My tendency constricted my perspective and reinforced my opinions without challenge. Recognizing my confirmation bias has helped me seek out diverse viewpoints and approach hard problems with an open mind. Anchoring bias Anchoring bias is another cognitive pitfall I have identified in my decision-making processes. The "anchor" bias occurs when people base their decisions on the first piece of information (Rezaei, 2020). Sometimes, initial facts or numbers shaped my subsequent assessments, even if they were arbitrary or unrelated. For example, in payment discussions, the first number mentioned became an anchor that disproportionately influenced the final settlement. The initial high or low number anchored my idea of an acceptable salary range, which could lead to a poor outcome. Recognizing this tendency has made me more aware of first impressions and more willing to rethink possibilities without getting misled by the anchor. My understanding has helped me avoid biases that could influence my decisions. Sunk Cost Fallacy The sunk cost fallacy is another cognitive bias that has plagued me throughout my life. According to Jhang et al. (2022), this bias occurs when people spend time, resources, or effort on a project or activity based on their cumulative investment, even when illogical. In my personal and professional life, I have persisted in a specific course of action due to time, money, or emotional energy investments. For example, I found it challenging to cut my losses and redirect my efforts in a project that did not yield the expected results.  Despite signs that the project was unsustainable, its massive expenditure made withdrawal difficult. Realizing the sunk cost fallacy has made me more practical, reassessing decisions based on present and future benefits rather than past investments. This mindset shift has prevented earlier commitments from strangling productivity. Hindsight Bias My reflection on past events is influenced by hindsight bias. According to Strohmaier et al. (2020) hindsight bias involve the tendency to see events as predictable after they happen. There have been instances where, upon looking back, I overestimated my ability to predict outcomes. For example, after a project works, I may convince myself that I forecast all the relevant factors and their positive impact, downplaying the risks and problems. This tendency may overestimate foresight and inhibit failure learning. Recognizing this propensity has prompted me to thoroughly review my original beliefs and forecasts in the present, realizing the uncertainty rather than depending on retrospect. I humble myself in each situation due to decision-making complexity and hindsight bias. This information has helped me grow from my past. My cognitive biases have influenced my thoughts, feelings, and actions, frequently against logic. For instance, confirmation bias has led me to selectively interpret facts, increasing my assumptions and possibly hindering my understanding of challenging situations. A narrow worldview limits my participation in disputes. Anchoring bias linked my decisions to early, random information. This has led to unsatisfactory results because the first data point dominates my decisions. Sunk cost fallacy hinders my work and puts me in unproductive situations due to past investments, affecting my mental and emotional health. I struggle to learn from mistakes and adapt due to hindsight bias. Knowing my prejudices improves my thoughts, feelings, and conduct. Root Causes of My Cognitive Biases Media, family, and culture significantly shaped my cognitive biases. Family values shaped my beliefs as a child. Family, generational, and social values formed me. Family values affected my political and social views. This familial influence set the stage, but I must identify and critically examine these prejudices to match my worldview. The media changes how I see things and the way my mind works. News, entertainment and social media raise bias and reduce variety. I picked content that backed my ideas, thus, these channels made my beliefs even stronger, especially confirmation bias. After understanding that the...