Cognitive Biases: The Brain’s Daily Tricks

The provided text offers a comprehensive exploration of cognitive biases, which are systematic deviations from rational judgment arising from the brain's efficient but flawed processing of information. It explains how heuristics, or mental shortcuts, are the origin of many biases, serving as a trade-off between speed and accuracy. The text details the evolutionary and psychological roots of these biases, including the dual-process theory of System 1 (fast, intuitive) and System 2 (slow, analytical) thinking, and examines their neuroscientific basis in brain regions like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, the source categorizes common biases, provides examples of their real-world impact in finance, medicine, and the legal system, and outlines strategies for mitigation to promote more rational decision-making.