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29 June 2024

Mindfulness or Seeing the Big Picture

At a faculty dinner once, a tablemate from the Education Department spoke about a high school student in one of her student-teacher’s classes. This student never spoke in class, never raised his hand in response to the teacher’s questions, and, when asked a direct question, would look down and not respond. Unsure of how to advise this student-teacher to reach this student, she asked the table for recommendations.

 

Others proffered various suggestions, which they then discussed. I eventually asked if the student was Native American, and with a somewhat surprised look, my colleague acknowledged that he was. I then suggested that the situation she described was more likely cultural in nature and had little to do with the student’s mental health or intellectual acumen but rather the result of adherence to traditional Native American values, especially if raised on the reservation, which he was. This underlines the crucial role of cultural sensitivity in understanding and addressing student behavior. 


 

This is, however, not an essay intent on addressing cultural sensitivity. Rather, it focuses on the importance of mindfulness and the problems associated with absolute thinking. In the abovementioned case, the educator’s understanding of the “role of student” was steeped in a Western definition of “engaged student.” This understanding of student involvement included raising hands in response to questions and responding when called on in class. This definition of “student” precluded considering the student in question’s situation as anything other than indicative of a problem that troubled students have and that teachers need to solve. By being mindful of cultural differences and individual student experiences, educators can avoid such absolute thinking and better understand their students. 

 

The teacher’s rigid or “absolute” definition of “functional student,” which included ALL students, resulted in a mindless reaction to this situation rather than viewing it as potentially unique to this individual student. In other words, the teacher’s unconditional understanding of the construct “student” prevented the teacher from considering that the “problem” might be the teacher’s approach to teaching rather than the student’s approach to learning. Educators must consider each student’s unique experiences and backgrounds, which can significantly impact their learning and behavior. This only happens when remaining open to the possibility that multiple explanations for an observed phenomenon may exist.

 

When we think we know and understand a situation, we attend to the minimal number of cues necessary to complete a task or, in this situation, reach a conclusion. The result is never exploring additional cues or information that could suggest an alternate explanation for the encountered phenomenon. This is, in short, a definition of mindlessness. Educators should be cautious of such mindless approaches as they can lead to overlooking important cues and information that could provide a deeper understanding of their students. This highlights the need for caution and thoroughness in problem-solving, particularly in educational and authoritative settings.

 

The difference between “absolute thinking” and “conditional thinking” is that absolute thinking is rooted in the belief that “this is the way,” the undisputed fact. Believing this automatically terminates further consideration of other or alternative explanations or solutions. Like a detective who “knows” John Jones is guilty and then looks exclusively for evidence to support that hypothesis, never considering that there could be or are other suspects, the absolute thinker defaults to a mindless consideration of the evidence. Mindfulness, on the other hand, necessitates “conditional thinking.” In conditional thinking, I remain open to the metaphorical fact that there may be more ways to get from Philadelphia to New York City than via I-95 and that circumstances or context could warrant pursuing a different course of action.

 

Ensuring “conditional” thinking may be as simple as how we phrase our questions or describe a situation or object. For example, notice the difference in what comes to mind when presented with these two statements: A baseball bat is the weapon, and A baseball bat could be the weapon. In the first, there is no doubt, at least in the speaker’s mind, whereas in the second, perhaps it is, but then again, perhaps something else is the weapon. This illustrates how mindfulness and conditional thinking can open a range of possibilities, fostering a more open-minded and flexible approach. 

 

Absolute statements leave no room for question; there is no room for exploring “what if…” Conditional statements, on the other hand, invite speculation; they expand the boundaries of possibility. Such differentiation becomes important when considering how individuals in positions of real or presumed authority deliver information.

 

Assume you are speaking with a physician – or therapist, lawyer, detective, or another perceived as in authority. You’re told that all indications are this is cancer – or ‘depression,’ ‘liable,’ ‘proof.’  First, what are you experiencing emotionally, and second, in what role have you cast yourself that triggers that emotional reaction? Likely, you are emotionally upset and see yourself as a “patient” or “client/patient” or “defendant” or “suspect,” mindlessly considering that role as you act according to your absolute understanding of how one in that role should act. 

 

What if that physician, therapist, lawyer, or detective said, All indications suggest this might be cancer/depression/liable/proof; might you feel more hopeful if not empowered to explore how best to act on rather than react to the statement? And because this person in a position of authority presented a conditional statement, might you be more inclined to see yourself as a mindful individual in a position to do something in response to the information rather than mindlessly submitting to a constraining role held as absolute fact?

 

We live in a time and culture enamored of absolutes. We seek “the answer,” and we follow it mindlessly once we believe we have found it. My grandfather used to say that we know what we have learned and learned what we’re taught, but this is not all there is to know. Mindfulness involves remaining open to the idea that things are not always how they appear.

04 June 2024

How Cognitive Bias Can Lead to Irrational Decisions


Cognitive bias refers to systematic errors in our thinking that affect how we perceive and interpret information and make decisions based on that information. While not intentional or malicious, these biases can significantly impact our decision-making process. They result from the limitations and shortcuts of our cognitive system, which tries to process a vast amount of information efficiently and quickly. However, cognitive biases can also have negative consequences, especially when they lead to irrational decisions against our best interests, goals, or values.

Some Common Cognitive Biases That Affect Our Decisions

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information that confirms our existing beliefs or hypotheses while ignoring or dismissing information that contradicts them. It can make us overconfident and resistant to changing our opinions even when faced with new evidence. For example, confirmation bias can lead us only to visit news sources that align with our political views and dismiss any opposing arguments as biased or false.

An availability heuristic is the tendency to judge the likelihood or frequency of an event based on how easily we can recall examples from our memory. This heuristic can cause us to overestimate the probability of rare or sensational events and underestimate the likelihood of ordinary or mundane events. For example, it can lead us to fear flying more than driving, even though flying is statistically much safer than driving.

The framing effect is a bias that relates to the influence resulting from the presentation of information rather than from the information itself. The framing effect can make us react differently to the same information depending on the wording or staging of the information, the emphasis placed on specific aspects of the information, or the presentation’s context. For example, preferring our surgeon to announce the planned procedure as “90% effective” rather than 10% ineffective, or the framing effect can lead us to choose a product labeled as "90% fat-free" over one labeled as "10% fat," even though they are essentially the same.

Sunk cost fallacy: This is the tendency to continue investing in a project, course of action, or relationship that has already cost us a significant amount of time, money, or effort, even when it is not worth it. The sunk cost fallacy can make us reluctant to cut our losses and move on because we feel that we have already invested too much to give up. For example, the sunk cost fallacy can lead us to keep watching a boring movie until the end because we have already paid for the ticket.

Related to the sunk cost fallacy is "loss aversion." This bias relates to our tendency to emphasize the chance of sustaining a loss more than the potential to realize a gain. For example, you invest $100 in a stock you believe will result in significant growth, but it steadily declines in value over several months. Because it now sells for less than you paid, you are averse to selling even though the stock will likely decline further. Put another way, investing the funds realized by selling the underperforming stock in a CD with a guaranteed rate of return is an unattractive alternative to continuing to hold the declining stock. Two mundane examples include sitting through a boring or offensive film simply because you paid for the ticket or eating an unappetizing meal because you paid for it.

Hindsight bias is the tendency to see events, even random ones, as more predictable than they are. Some examples of hindsight bias include insisting that you knew who was going to win a football game once the event was over (Monday morning quarterbacking), believing that you knew all along that one political candidate was going to win an election, or saying that you knew you weren't going to win after losing a coin flip with a friend.

Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to our abilities and efforts while attributing adverse consequences to external factors or bad luck. Self-serving bias can cause us to overestimate our skills and achievements (the Dunning-Kruger effect) and underestimate our flaws and mistakes. For example, it can lead us to take credit for a successful project at work but blame our co-workers for one that fails.

The bandwagon effect is the tendency to conform to the opinions and behaviors of others, especially when perceiving them as popular or the majority views. The bandwagon effect can make us adopt beliefs or actions that we might not otherwise agree with or do because we want to fit in or avoid social rejection. For example, the bandwagon effect can lead us to vote for candidates because most of our friends or family support them.

 

How to Overcome Cognitive Biases and Make Better Decisions


Although cognitive biases are hard to eliminate because of their being ingrained in our mental system, there are steps we can take to reduce their influence and improve our decision-making:

Be aware of your biases: The first step is to recognize that you are not immune to cognitive biases, which can affect your thinking and behavior in various situations. You can use online resources such as https://effectiviology.com/cognitive-biases/ to learn more about cognitive biases and how they work.

Seek diverse and reliable sources of information: The second step is to broaden your perspective and expose yourself to different viewpoints and credible and trustworthy sources of information. You can use online tools such as https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/ to check the bias and accuracy of various news outlets and websites.

Challenge your assumptions and beliefs: The third step is to question your assumptions and beliefs and test them against evidence and logic. You can use online platforms such as https://www.kialo.com/ to engage in constructive debates with others on various topics and issues.

Consider alternative options and scenarios: The fourth step is to avoid jumping to conclusions based on limited or biased information. Instead, consider other options and scenarios that could explain or influence the situation. You can use online techniques such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats to adopt different perspectives and modes of thinking.

Seek feedback and advice from others: The fifth step is to seek input and advice from others who are knowledgeable, experienced, or impartial about the decision you are facing.

Conclusion

Cognitive bias is a natural phenomenon that affects how we think and make decisions. However, cognitive bias can also lead us to make irrational decisions that are not in our best interest. By being aware of our biases, seeking diverse and reliable sources of information, challenging our assumptions and beliefs, considering alternative options and scenarios, and seeking feedback and advice from others, we can overcome cognitive biases and make better decisions.