Is there really such a thing as one reality? Or should we rather say realities? How real is our own reality? That is, what we think actually is and exists? The belief that there is only one reality is a dangerous self-deception. The reality we create is, among other things, the result of our so-called cognitive biases. These are mostly involuntary, systematic errors in perception, memory, thinking, and judgment. To understand them better, we invite you to try a little brainteaser:
A racket and a ball together cost €1.10. The racket costs €1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
If you think about the problem very quickly, you will probably assume that the bat costs 1 euro and the ball costs 10 cents. But if you actually calculate the problem, you will immediately realize that this is not correct. The bat costs 1.05 euros and the ball costs 5 cents.
There are two different modes of thinking that we use to make decisions and process information. In the first mode, our thinking is strongly influenced by emotions. It is fast, automatic, and instinctive. In the second mode, we think more slowly, consciously, and logically. Each mode of thinking has advantages and disadvantages. With the help of our "fast thinking" (intuition, feelings, rough rules of thumb, etc.), we can often effortlessly absorb information and come to the right conclusions. However, this "mental shortcut" can also be misleading. Our "slow thinking" (rational analysis and deliberation) can correct hasty judgments. However, it requires cognitive effort, which is only available to us to a limited extent.
Cognitive biases: We create our own reality
If you made a mistake in the task with the racket and the ball, you were probably in fast thinking mode. We often rely on this mode in everyday life too. Cognitive biases arise and we create our own reality. One example of cognitive bias is the halo effect. When we meet someone new, our brain filters out some of the information we receive and sets priorities. This leads to situations where characteristics of people that are in fact independent and only partially correlated are mistakenly considered to be related. Individual attributes of a person (such as height, appearance, age, disability, etc.) create a positive or negative impression that "outshines" the further perception of the person and disproportionately influences the overall impression.
Differentiated considerations are made more difficult
This effect was clearly demonstrated in studies conducted by psychologist Edward Thorndike, who examined the assessment of soldiers during World War I. The criteria used were very diverse and included, for example, intelligence, appearance, character, musicality, and marksmanship. The study led to surprising results: soldiers with impeccable posture were conspicuously often confirmed to be accurate shooters and musical, whereas the other soldiers scored below average in the assessment. Impeccable posture outshone the rest of the criteria and made it impossible to differentiate between the soldiers.
For example, an outstanding swimmer may automatically be considered athletically gifted. In reality, however, a fit swimmer is not necessarily a good runner. This is one of the reasons why attractive people are considered to be more socially competent and successful. If the halo effect has a positive impact, it can automatically increase the legitimacy and emotional receptiveness of that person. However, the halo effect can also have a negative impact: if someone does not fulfill a certain attribute, it is often interpreted that other attributes are also lacking. This can result in a loss of receptiveness.
Further examples of cognitive biases are summarized in the following table:
| primary effect | First impressions are hard to change. |
| halo effect | The (overall) perception is based on one outstanding individual characteristic. |
| attribution error | The influence of personality traits and attitudes on a person's behavior is overestimated, while external factors and influences are underestimated. |
| similarity error | People perceive characteristics in others that they attribute to themselves. |
| contrast effect | One's own person or other persons become the frame of reference for judging others. |
| Authority bias | People obey authority figures even when it makes no rational or moral sense. |
| Rosenthal effect | A person's performance depends on the characteristics that another person (for example, a supervisor) attributes to them. |
| Social proof | People think they are behaving correctly when they behave like the masses. |
Implementation in everyday life
- What significance could cognitive biases have for your everyday (management) life?
- When are you yourself subject to such distortions, and what false interpretations do they lead you to make?
- What realities do your employees create for themselves through their own cognitive biases? How can you deal with this?
There is an effective way to limit cognitive biases in yourself and others: ask more questions! The more information you have, the better your assessment will be. We are happy to support you in this with our management training and coaching programs. I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
Never assume that you are in the other person's reality. Find out what the words mean in your counterpart's world
(adapted from Paul Watzlawick).
That's why you're not really happy.
Why success and fulfillment have nothing to do with each other.
