Understanding Cognitive Biases

What is cognitive bias?

• A type of logical reasoning

• Errors in thinking that affect decisions and judgments

• A method to enhance rational thinking

• A psychological disorder

Which cognitive bias involves the tendency to focus on initial information and fail to adjust when new information is presented?

• Confirmation bias

• Overconfidence bias

• Anchoring effect

• Over-generalization

Explain how confirmation bias can affect decision-making in a medical context.

• It leads to better patient outcomes by confirming diagnoses.

• It causes doctors to ignore new evidence that contradicts their initial diagnosis.

• It helps doctors to quickly reach a consensus with other physicians.

• It ensures that all possible diagnoses are considered.

What is overconfidence bias, and how might it impact a physician's diagnosis?

• It is the belief that one's skills are superior, leading to undervaluing others' opinions.

• It is the tendency to rely on past experiences, leading to accurate diagnoses.

• It is the ability to make quick decisions, leading to efficient patient care.

• It is the reliance on statistical data, leading to evidence-based practice.

Identify a strategy that can help reduce cognitive biases in decision-making.

• Ignoring all external opinions

• Relying solely on intuition

• Engaging in continuous education and training

• Making decisions quickly to avoid overthinking

Describe the impact of over-generalization on decision-making.

• It leads to detailed and specific conclusions.

• It results in broad conclusions based on limited evidence.

• It encourages consideration of multiple perspectives.

• It ensures decisions are based on comprehensive data.

What is the primary focus of cognitive bias education for physicians?

• To enhance their memory recall

• To improve their diagnostic accuracy by recognizing biases

• To increase their confidence in decision-making

• To teach them new medical procedures

How does knowing about cognitive biases benefit individuals in decision-making?

• It allows them to completely eliminate biases.

• It helps them make more informed and balanced decisions.

• It ensures they never make mistakes.

• It guarantees success in all decisions.

Which of the following is NOT a cognitive bias mentioned in the transcript?

• Overconfidence bias

• Confirmation bias

• Anchoring effect

• Recency effect

Discuss how cognitive biases can be moderated according to the transcript.

• By ignoring them completely

• Through education and awareness

• By relying on technology

• Through meditation and relaxation techniques