What are cognitive biases?

Cognitive biases refer to systematic patterns of deviation in judgment and decision-making. This means that individuals consistently rely on certain mental shortcuts or heuristics that can lead to errors in thinking. These biases can influence how we perceive information, make decisions, and evaluate situations, leading to distorted reasoning or judgment.

Understanding cognitive biases is crucial in psychology because they can have significant implications for behavior, social interactions, and even clinical outcomes. By recognizing these biases, individuals can strive to improve their decision-making processes, as they often occur unconsciously and can distort our understanding of reality.

In contrast, the other choices address concepts that, while related to psychology, do not define cognitive biases. Subjective interpretations of emotions focus on perception rather than judgment deviation. Unconscious motives driving personality development pertain to deeper psychological theories about personality formation rather than decision-making errors. Conflicting thoughts experienced in stressful situations touch on cognitive dissonance or anxiety but do not specifically encompass the broad range of systematic errors associated with cognitive biases.