There’s an incredibly common mental error that affects most of our decisions and thoughts on a daily basis. It creeps its way into many arguments online. It helps make choices without us ever noticing it was there. What is this powerful and mysterious force, you ask? Well, it’s availability bias.
First coined back in 1973 by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, availability bias, also known as availability heuristic, refers to the mental shortcut our brain makes when evaluating decisions, subjects, or ideas. In order to put less strain on our brains, it bases judgements on how easily the information comes to mind. People are far more likely to quickly recall noteworthy, impactful, or sensational events and information before thinking of common occurrences.
So what does this look like in action?
Let’s talk about sharks for a second. Thanks to movies like Jaws and Sharknado (unfortunately), as well as TV shows like Shark Week and the eponymously named BBC show “Shark” (very creative), we see sharks as a large threat. They are dangerous big fish with sharp teeth and a thirst for blood. However, sharks aren’t that dangerous to humans at all. In 2018, there were only 5 shark-related human deaths (compare that to the tens of millions of sharks killed by humans annually, and you really start to question who should be afraid of whom). Nobody will go onto the news and report “no shark deaths today”, but they will cover one if it happens. It causes us to more instantly remember shark deaths than the lack thereof.
Aviophobics, among other ‘-phobics’, also suffer from the effects of availability bias. They more easily access memories of planes crashing, causing a gripping fear of flying. Even though hundreds of planes land safely every minute of every day, they will think of the plane crashing long before thinking of it landing safely.
Most of the time, availability heuristic is a positive cognitive process. It can be good for keeping us out of trouble, quickly informing us what we should be afraid and careful of (even if it can sometimes cause irrational fears). It helps us make quick decisions without overloading our brain or sending us into a panic.
But availability bias can also be detrimental. When calling upon quickly available knowledge, we can often spout unfounded facts without considering the full picture.
You may have heard the argument “it gets cold and snows, so how is global warming happening?” It’s been dredged up a few times over the last number of years, here’s just one past Forbes article discussing it. But when there is so much data and science behind global warming’s existence, how can someone have such an argument? One reason is our availability bias. Snow, cold weather, and rain happening around you is a lot more accessible to the brain than intangible, often complex facts around global warming.
Availability bias can also lead us down a dark path into discrimination. Transphobic individuals will often claim that trans women competing in athletic tournaments have an unfair advantage to their cisgender female competitors. Many trans women have been banned from competing for exactly this reason. However, this argument is based on individual cases of trans women competing and winning tournaments, rather than the larger dataset which shows that statistically and physically, trans women have no real advantage. The phenomenon of a trans woman winning an athletic competition becomes more accessible than the common occurrence of trans women placing pretty averagely in competitions.
So now what?
Availability bias can often work dangerously in tandem with confirmation bias, where information that confirms our worldview is easily accessible to our mind, while other points and facts fall by the wayside. While some people may just be ignoring these facts to try and further their own worldview, a lot of those who spout these facts are being affected by availability bias and aren’t noticing it. So how can we spot it? How can we make sure we aren’t unknowingly biased?
As mentioned, availability bias unfairly affects information that confirms our worldview. The most effective tool we have to being a victim of our own opinions is to keep an open mind. Continuously seek to understand the world around us and other people. Remind yourself that you don’t know everything and that the person you’re debating with might have a better understanding of the topic you’re talking about.
It’s also important to make sure the information and facts you’re using are correct (and not just anecdotal evidence availability bias is feeding you). And don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong. You’re not always going to have the upper hand in an argument, and being able to admit your faults is essential.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid of availability bias. Heuristics are mental shortcuts that help ease the load off our brain when making a decision. It’s an incredibly handy tool that has helped us survive up until now. Yes, there are times when it can be dangerous and harmful, but using the above tips we can learn to avoid them. It’s good to trust your gut. Maybe the next time you’re thinking about what to eat and hear about a salmonella outbreak, you’ll reconsider your options and stay safe.
Eoin Cooke
Research
An Introduction to Applied Cognitive Psychology
Availability Heuristic – Oxford Reference
Social Cognition: Making Sense of People – Chapter 4
Gender identity and sport: is the playing field level?
What critics get wrong about transgender athletes in womens sports