How to Overcome Choice-Supportive Bias and Outsmart Your Biased Brain
October 12, 2025Categories: Psychology and Mind, Podcast Episode
The Biased Brain Podcast with Owen Hawthorne
Explore the intriguing world of cognitive biases and human cognition in this engaging podcast. Discover how bias in decision making shapes our perceptions and influences our choices. Join us as we delve into the science behind critical thinking and biases, providing practical insights to enhance your understanding and control over your thought processes. Whether you're a psychology student or curious observer, this podcast offers valuable tools to help you unveil the hidden biases in your mind.
Overcoming Choice-Supportive Bias: A Friendly Chat About Outsmarting Your Biased Brain
Hey there! Have you ever made a decision—maybe it was choosing a restaurant, buying a gadget, or even picking a job—and later, you found yourself defending that choice, even when it wasn’t perfect? You might have noticed how you tend to focus mostly on the positives of your decision and kind of overlook the negatives. That, my friend, is what psychologists call choice-supportive bias. Today, let’s talk about what this bias really is, why it happens, and how we can be better at recognizing and overcoming it to make smarter decisions.
So, first off, what exactly is choice-supportive bias? Essentially, it's a type of cognitive bias where we remember our choices as better than they actually were. When we look back, we tend to attribute good qualities to what we picked and forget or downplay its flaws. This is our mind’s way of comforting us—helping us avoid regret and keep our self-esteem intact. It’s part of how human cognition often works, steering us into favoring our past decisions to feel more confident or justified.
Now, this sounds harmless at first. Who doesn’t want to feel good about their choices? But here’s the catch: this bias can seriously mess with learning and growth. If you can’t objectively assess your past decisions, you might end up repeating the same mistakes over and over. It’s like wearing rose-colored glasses—only you don’t realize they’re on.
Understanding the nature of this bias is crucial in improving our critical thinking and biases skills. When we start to recognize how our biased brain operates, especially with bias in decision making, we give ourselves the chance to pause and reflect more honestly.
So, how do you challenge this bias? Here are some approachable tips:
- Keep a decision journal. Writing down why you made a choice at the moment helps preserve an unfiltered snapshot of your reasoning before hindsight kicks in.
- Seek feedback from others. Sometimes we’re too close to a choice to see it clearly. Getting outside perspectives can reveal blind spots your biased brain doesn’t want to face.
- Practice stepping back emotionally. Decisions tied to strong feelings are more prone to this bias. Taking a moment to cool off and reassess can give you a clearer view.
- Compare your expectations with actual outcomes. Ask yourself, “How did this choice measure up to what I thought it would be?” Being honest here is key.
One of the best ways to get a broader understanding of cognitive biases, including choice-supportive bias, is by exploring expert resources that break down the science in relatable terms. For example, the book, The Biased Brain by Bo Bennett, PhD, is a great read. It explains all these quirks our minds play on us, helping us identify patterns and improve critical thinking and biases awareness.
By grasping how these subtle but powerful biases influence our memories and decisions, we can become more mindful decision-makers. And honestly, isn’t it kind of amazing—and a bit amusing—to realize that our brains are constantly trying to protect us, even if it’s not always in the most helpful way?
So next time you find yourself justifying a past choice a little too enthusiastically, think of it as your own mind’s bias in action. Instead of dismissing that feeling, take a second to question it—and maybe pull out your decision journal or ask a friend what they think. Overcoming choice-supportive bias is definitely a journey, but it’s one well worth taking.
If you want to get a thorough understanding of these fascinating mental quirks and learn strategies to outsmart your own biased brain, I highly recommend checking out The Biased Brain by Bo Bennett. Explore the book and unravel the secrets of your mind today! It’s a fantastic step toward mastering human cognition and boosting your critical thinking skills.
 |
Mitigate the Effects of Cognitive Biases and Become More Reasonable
|
Post Tags:
