0:00:11.066,0:00:15.966 The study of cognitive biases tells us that we [br]process information subjectively. 0:00:15.966,0:00:19.866 Sometimes to the extent that our perceptions [br]get distorted, 0:00:19.866,0:00:25.032 clouding ‘simple and objective’ facts like the [br]amount of violations in a football match. 0:00:25.033,0:00:31.066 Having cognitive biases is in many cases a very [br]effective and healthy phenomenon 0:00:31.066,0:00:36.399 because people simple can not handle balanced [br]processing of all input. 0:00:36.400,0:00:40.166 Can you imagine being conscious all the time of [br]all your senses? 0:00:40.166,0:00:43.566 You’ll probably be overwhelmed in seconds! 0:00:43.566,0:00:46.632 Therefore it’s great that our mind is able to [br]subconsciously make 0:00:46.633,0:00:49.666 all of these processing decisions. 0:00:49.666,0:00:52.799 Although we may be inclined to see biases as [br]limitations, 0:00:52.800,0:00:58.992 we could also view them as cognitive shortcuts [br]since they speed up information processing. 0:00:59.733,0:01:05.766 Perhaps the best known theory about cognitive [br]biases is the theory of cognitive dissonance. 0:01:05.766,0:01:11.166 Cognitive Dissonance is a theory from [br]psychology that explains how people handle 0:01:11.166,0:01:17.666 conflicting feelings, ideas or beliefs. I’ll explain [br]with an example. 0:01:17.666,0:01:23.766 Roger feels he is a well-read intellectual. His [br]friends start talking about the classic book 0:01:23.766,0:01:28.766 War and Peace. Everyone has read it except [br]Roger. 0:01:28.766,0:01:33.832 The belief that he is a well-read intellectual [br]clashes with the fact that he is the only one 0:01:33.833,0:01:36.233 amongst his friends who hasn’t read this [br]classic. 0:01:36.233,0:01:42.333 The theory predicts that Roger will try to avoid [br]the discomfort of this cognitive dissonance. 0:01:42.333,0:01:45.499 He can do this in three ways. 0:01:45.500,0:01:50.533 1) By making one of the discordant factors less [br]important, 0:01:50.533,0:01:57.966 2) By adding new elements to his beliefs that [br]make the picture fit, 0:01:57.966,0:02:00.032 or, in other words, create consonance, 0:02:00.033,0:02:06.499 3) And finally by changing one clashing factors. 0:02:06.500,0:02:13.833 So, to avoid cognitive dissonance Roger could [br]say: Well, who cares if I’m well read. 0:02:13.833,0:02:23.466 It’s not that important! Or: Not having read one [br]classic hardly makes me illiterate! 0:02:23.466,0:02:29.232 Or, he could create consonance by adding new [br]elements to his beliefs. 0:02:29.233,0:02:31.799 For instance by thinking that, being an [br]intellectual, 0:02:31.800,0:02:35.466 he obviously hangs out with other well-read [br]intellectuals. 0:02:35.466,0:02:40.032 It’s therefore not surprising that his friends have [br]read the classic. 0:02:40.033,0:02:45.433 Finally he could change his view: either by [br]thinking 0:02:45.433,0:02:49.133 'Apparently I’m not that well-read' or thinking 0:02:49.133,0:02:54.533 'War and Peace is actually greatly [br]overestimated as a work of literature'. 0:02:54.533,0:02:58.233 The theory explains how people balance their [br]beliefs with reality. 0:02:58.233,0:03:02.666 Sometimes this can lead to enormous opinion [br]changes. 0:03:02.666,0:03:08.566 The classic example of this is the fable of the [br]Fox and the Grapes by Aesop. 0:03:08.566,0:03:15.032 In the English translation: “Driven by hunger, a [br]fox tried to reach some grapes hanging high on 0:03:15.033,0:03:22.566 the vine but was unable to, although he leaped [br]with all his strength. As he went away, 0:03:22.566,0:03:29.399 the fox remarked, 'Oh, you aren't even ripe yet! I [br]don't need any sour grapes.'” 0:03:29.400,0:03:31.900 Aesop sums up the moral of the story. 0:03:31.900,0:03:38.166 “People who speak disparagingly of things that [br]they cannot attain would do well to apply 0:03:38.166,0:03:42.266 this story to themselves”. The fox had clearly [br]reduced cognitive dissonance 0:03:42.266,0:03:45.666 by changing his beliefs, which was the third [br]option, 0:03:45.666,0:03:50.999 and deciding that the grapes he had craved [br]before were actually sour. 0:03:51.000,0:03:56.333 On a side note, this is also the origin of the [br]expression ‘sour grapes’.