Cognitive Bias & How It Helps Spread Misinformation

[RiffRaff]

Every human being on the planet has these cognitive biases to one extent or another. The trick is to recognize them for what they are and attempt to compensate. This is where most people fail because they cannot be honest with themselves. If we - and by "we" I mean the staff and members of DWS - really want to provide accurate information to the public, we must excel at not falling into these mental traps. The only way to do that is to understand each one, honestly assess how each of them affect the information you read and post, and make an effort at correcting those biases that are affecting your judgement. All of that requires honesty, humility, integrity, and courage.

Social media has allowed cognitive bias to spread and reproduce at an exponential rate which has led us to the current global dumpster fire. Politicians love it and actively encourage it because it keeps the real issues out of the public eye. Somebody somewhere posts a story that is either skewed or completely false, and that post can spread around the world within minutes. The misinformation train leaves the station leaving the truth derailed behind it. Don't fall victim to this and become part of the problem.

I'm going to make this image my OSINT laptop's wallpaper for a while so I remember to check myself for these biases. Remember, no one is immune from this. But only some want to take the steps necessary to minimize how it affects their perceptions of reality.

 

[Spyglass]

it keeps the real issues out of the public eye. Somebody somewhere posts a story that is either skewed or completely false, and that post can spread around the world within minutes. The misinformation train leaves the station leaving the truth derailed behind it. Don't fall victim to this and become part of the problem.

YES all of this. AI has made this so much worse too.

 

[Yingyang]

Love it. Well done.

 

[Torch]

FWIW I believe #5 (as worded, not as a concept) is Bias.

It may be a “cost forward decision” versus a sunk (negative) cost (neutral) Fallacy (negative)

Cost forward could be a fallacy

Or

Sunk cost could be a decision.

The use both it is preloaded signaling a negative outcome.

I have always thought this before when hearing “sunk cost fallacy” used to invalidate an opposing argument and simply wanted to share this so that I can get pummeled and eviscerated in public.

I think Riff Raffs concept and implementation, #5 not withstanding,
to be excellent.

 

[Publius]

FWIW I believe #5 (as worded, not as a concept) is Bias.

It may be a “cost forward decision” versus a sunk (negative) cost (neutral) Fallacy (negative)

Cost forward could be a fallacy

Or

Sunk cost could be a decision.

The use both it is preloaded signaling a negative outcome.

I have always thought this before when hearing “sunk cost fallacy” used to invalidate an opposing argument and simply wanted to share this so that I can get pummeled and eviscerated in public.

I think Riff Raffs concept and implementation, #5 not withstanding,
to be excellent.

You’ve invested in one belief or bias for so long the very idea it might not be correct is simply to costly of a change in world view to make.

I can see the value of social programs in say health care or higher education and how they might work in some nations. And honesty i like them. I can appreciate how they work in those specific nations. I can also recognize how they have not nor would not work in other nations because of current demographic or cultural differences.

Sometimes what is the best path or choice for going forward isnot going to be the same from one place to another.

 

[Deleted account]

It's all true, but eh, too late now. "Every lie incurs a debt against the truth. Sooner or later, that debt will have to be repaid."

I've noticed that quite a lot of people are willing to pay lip service to these rules - without for a second thinking that they themselves may be running afoul of them. In truth, we've all sold our souls to the social media devil. And now he is coming to collect...

 

[Lostpuppy]

Has anyone ever reach out to the creators of written publications?
Has anyone directly challenged statements made by writers? By that i mean email or other such means?
Likely most dont!
The public media presents a slant.

Should they be challeged ?