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Cognitive Biases

by savidge4
14 replies
I have been spending an amount of time recently researching and understanding Cognitive Bias and how it can be used to increase sales efforts.

I have also been looking at the opposite of this and how using them incorrectly or excessively could have a negative effect.

So far from what I have been reading there are 25 "major" cognitive Biases. here are a few links to a list of them.

http://25cognitivebiases.com/

This one says 25 but I think they only cover 22: https://getvoip.com/blog/2018/01/29/cognitive-biases/

From these starting points of "What are they" I have been looking at more specific information and examples of use for each.

Anyone willing to share their ideas and thoughts on the subject?
#biases #cognitive
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

    I have been spending an amount of time recently researching and understanding Cognitive Bias and how it can be used to increase sales efforts.

    I have also been looking at the opposite of this and how using them incorrectly or excessively could have a negative effect.

    So far from what I have been reading there are 25 "major" cognitive Biases. here are a few links to a list of them.

    http://25cognitivebiases.com/

    This one says 25 but I think they only cover 22: https://getvoip.com/blog/2018/01/29/cognitive-biases/

    From these starting points of "What are they" I have been looking at more specific information and examples of use for each.

    Anyone willing to share their ideas and thoughts on the subject?
    Sure. But not right now, too busy. I will say this, think of it as shorthand, or encrypted.

    Re: Cognitive Psychology "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. AND, what marketers quickly find out about using C. Bias is...

    What may apply to the masses, majority or most of...get lost on an individual."

    More later.

    GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    A topic I have spent some time to understand today has been the Hoarding of Toilet paper as it relates to Cognitive Bias.

    The one thing I have kinda figured out today as I kinda try and understand "Bias" is there seems to be more than 25 fundamental Cognitive Biases. Doing some reading I came across:

    Zero Risk Bias: A tendency to completely eliminate risk even even if other options produce a greater reduction in risk. So looking at Toilet paper hoarding there is that obvious risk of not having any... so you buy more than you need.

    Another Bias that obviously comes into play is the Social Proof Bias. Hey everyone else is buying excessive amounts of toilet paper so should I.

    One could argue the Stress influence Bias as a motivation to buy excessive toilet paper.

    Deprival Super-Reaction Bias suggests that one might act irrationally to a small loss or thought of a loss - or not having toilet paper

    Influence from Association Bias - they had friends that did the same so they should as well - this one seems to me to be "Social Proof" in a way.

    So lets look at the scenario as a whole - "Hoarding Toilet Paper" It is simply easier to eliminate the fear of running out of toilet paper and hey everyone you know - and everyone you see in the toilet paper aisle at the store is buying as much as they can. THIS is consciously something that can be controlled.

    Versus buying hygiene and cleaning products which would reduce their chances of getting the virus in the first place. And I can say this because I went to he store today to load up on some food items. Primarily proteins like hamburger and chicken etc - needed a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. The paper aisle was E M P T Y, ( as in Toilet paper was gone, Paper towels were gone, and Napkins were gone ) and yet the aisle with Clorox wipes etc seemed to be gone over, but was far from wiped out.

    This is how I try to learn things... first looking at it in terms of what is it, and then once I have an understanding of sorts I try to apply the concepts in real world type scenarios to see the basic cause and effect of whatever it is I am learning.
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    This is one of those things I have always "Used" but not so intentionally apparently. I have always been a fan of implementing the 7 deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. which I feel after some amount of research now is a very broken down list of these cognitive Biases.

    So I finally stumbled on Wikipedia's list of Cognitive Biases: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases so uh yeah there are more than 25 LOL holy cow way more than 25.

    The chart to the right of the article is awesome ( I like visuals like that ) I have already determined I have opened Pandora's Box. and its probably a shame that I got an interest for this at the age of 52... haha

    To give you an idea of what created the just short of instant interest for me to learn more about this... I happen to have started listening to Logan Paul's podcast ( Impaulsive ) and one of the episodes was with Tai Lopez and the topic of Cognitive Bias was brought up quite a bit. - a little added here... I am by no means going to say that Impaulsive is solid episode after episode... but there has been some killer episodes that are worth the time. His talk with Ben Shapiro is literally probably one of the best Shapiro interviews I have heard. The Grant Cordone episode wasn't to bad. The Tai Lopez interview was apparently eye opening LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Seemingly a new cognitive bias gets added weekly.

    Last I read there were over 200.

    Some are used for sales, marketing, dating etc.

    Retailers use them to lay out the floor plans in their stores...they spend millions to have a psychologist study every movement and behavior of people coming in.

    I've always like the Joharis window concept to understand people.

    Imagine a window with 4 panes of glass.

    One pane is completely blacked out - that's what somebody doesn't tell you about themselves and they won't let you see anything about them.

    Second pane is like a one way mirror - they'll let you know what they want, but you can't know anything more.

    Third pane is glazed - It's what you think you know about the person, but you're not sure...and they let out just the information about them they want to let out, and it may be distorted.

    Fourth pane - completely clear. You can see everything about a person and they let you know everything about them.

    Everybody has a joharis window.

    There are things about everyone that they don't want you to know. Things they'll tell you...maybe hiding some stuff...things you know about them that they don't really want you to know...and everything you think you know about them.

    Every single person has this type of window in their lives.

    The beauty of knowing everyone is the same in that they fit the above description...is knowing how to target those panes of glass, and how it will increase your marketing capabilities...

    but that's another whole post in itself.

    So, anyways, here's a couple links I had in my bookmarks on the subject you brought up...

    cognitive biasis are used a great deal in the treatment of mental illnesses. There's been countless studies done on how they affect people with disorders.

    https://humanhow.com/en/list-of-cogn...with-examples/
    https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com...18-1444-3#Bib1
    https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com...18-1444-3#Bib1
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    • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      Seemingly a new cognitive bias gets added weekly.

      Last I read there were over 200.
      Always there is info ovahload from sumplace, meanin' the more you know, the more you real stoopid.

      So you gotta step back from the cerebral entanglement an' take the evryday pulse real regulah, like in your local store an' stuff.

      If'n all this bias be troo, it always been here, an' it all here rn -- smilin' an' smirkin' an' cussin' and' frettin' its way to all things on the slidin' scale twixt salvation & oblivion.

      An' fixin' too much on the latest trend bias kinds blinds you out to the juicy wider picture.

      As for Joharis Pane In The As #4, you gotta watch for the srsly deloosional cos they got no clue what is gowin' on -- even if you endeavah to shine a torch up their darkest areah while all the heavenly glory squirtin' on out.

      Gotta wonder tho.

      Let's say you researched evry cognitive bias gowin' an' monitored yourself daily ... matchin' facts to experience on the fly ... always seekin' to nootralise these kinda bucks in the system.

      So hey -- where's that touchstone, zackly?

      That unbiased cognitive bias analyzer thang?

      All I know is ... uncertainty demands first of all that we find sum shape for what stuff AIN'T -- an' from here we can start out havin' command ovah what MIGHT BE.

      That is why I sittin' in my lockdown apartment rn tryin' to figure recipes for 27 cucumbahs an' an anchovy.
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  • Profile picture of the author myob
    There are way more than "25" cognitive bias decision patterns. Most people have several or more, which often overlap.

    The best advertising marketers, copywriters, motivational speakers, etc effectively tap into this "internal narrative".

    We see this all around us in sales, marketing, and branding. Conversions are high when your message "resonates" with conversations people are having within themselves.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      There are way more than "25" cognitive bias decision patterns. Most people have several or more, which often overlap.

      The best advertising marketers, copywriters, motivational speakers, etc effectively tap into this "internal narrative".

      We see this all around us in sales, marketing, and branding. Conversions are high when your message "resonates" with conversations people are having within themselves.
      That's it! That's the use of cognitive biases in selling. i used to take my speeches and run them through a filter. How many internal cognitive biases can I harmonize with?

      Sometimes just adding "look around at the people with their hand up! You aren't alone thinking this is a good idea" or "don't be left behind", that sort of thing.

      It makes me a tad sick to my stomach to have to use these "tricks' to get the audience to nod their heads in unison. But I have to do it to maximize sales. It also works well with individuals...and you don't have to stick to universal cognitive biases, but can use individual biases to move the sale along. In fact, one definition of "Rapport" is sharing the same prejudices or biases. These cognitive biases bypass the decision making part of the brain, and go directtly to the emotional and instinctive parts. That's what gives these arguments their power.

      When not selling, ,my two prime uses for studying cognitive biases are;
      1) How to recognize them in your self, when you are arguing a point.
      2) How to recognize them in others, when they are trying to convince you. Cognitive biases are the fall back arguments when there are no facts or reason on your side. For example, when someone says "500 people can't all be wrong", it's both employing a cognitive bias and a faulty statement. To me, it's evidence of someone being wrong.

      Another word for cognitive bias is irrational thinking/logical fallacies. Selling sometimes involves capitalizing on a prospect's biases, but it sure isn't a good way to think. I wish that weren't the case.
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      • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Cognitive biases are the fall back arguments when there are no facts or reason on your side. For example, when someone says "500 people can't all be wrong", it's both employing a cognitive bias and a faulty statement. To me, it's evidence of someone being wrong.

        Mebbe we should give these 500 people a call an' jus' get em' to write stuff out so we could all quit bein' lame.
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  • Profile picture of the author havplenty
    It's pseudo-science, like psychoanalysis; and it only works if you have catch someone alone in a room and have 8 hours to turn their brain into mush. Stick with AIDA. Or read Aristotle.



    Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

    I have been spending an amount of time recently researching and understanding Cognitive Bias and how it can be used to increase sales efforts.

    I have also been looking at the opposite of this and how using them incorrectly or excessively could have a negative effect.

    So far from what I have been reading there are 25 "major" cognitive Biases. here are a few links to a list of them.

    http://25cognitivebiases.com/

    This one says 25 but I think they only cover 22: https://getvoip.com/blog/2018/01/29/cognitive-biases/

    From these starting points of "What are they" I have been looking at more specific information and examples of use for each.

    Anyone willing to share their ideas and thoughts on the subject?
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by havplenty View Post

      Stick with AIDA. Or read Aristotle.
      Perfect examples of cognitive bias in action.
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by havplenty View Post

      It's pseudo-science, like psychoanalysis; and it only works if you have catch someone alone in a room and have 8 hours to turn their brain into mush. Stick with AIDA. Or read Aristotle.
      I get what you are saying... But, AIDA ( Attention, Interest, Desire and Action ) is more a system or a methodology than it is a way to communicate. The question, So how does one get a buyers attention? is where Cognitive Bias kicks in. A statement like "4 out of 5 Dentists recommend sugarless gum to patience that chew gum" would be how that is used.

      It doesn't take 8 hours in a room.. it takes oh but a second.. a few words to click that switch. The purpose for me learning more about the subject is the fact that I have always in one way shape or form used it, with out really knowing I was using it. Maybe just maybe, understanding it "better" might increase Action, once I have the Interest and Attention part figured out.

      ******************************

      As a side note I am a fan boy of sorts of the AARRR ( Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue ) Model aka The Startup Metrics for Pirates. I would consider this a more modern onboarding system that better fits todays world.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    as good an explanation and insightful of Bias you can get in a short amount of time. I've found this to be one of the best classes I've ever taken, for understanding how people think (or don't).

    MasterClass has some good courses on storytelling too, which come in handy, but Neil's course is very, very good.

    GordonJ



    Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

    I have been spending an amount of time recently researching and understanding Cognitive Bias and how it can be used to increase sales efforts.

    I have also been looking at the opposite of this and how using them incorrectly or excessively could have a negative effect.

    So far from what I have been reading there are 25 "major" cognitive Biases. here are a few links to a list of them.

    http://25cognitivebiases.com/

    This one says 25 but I think they only cover 22: https://getvoip.com/blog/2018/01/29/cognitive-biases/

    From these starting points of "What are they" I have been looking at more specific information and examples of use for each.

    Anyone willing to share their ideas and thoughts on the subject?
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  • Profile picture of the author myob
    Perhaps the most powerful cognitive bias I like to use is "being objective". For example, you see this most often in journalism and the news media.

    Recognize this from one of the most slanted news broadcasting companies in mass media: "Fair, balanced, and unafraid."

    (BTW, F$x dropped that tagline a few years ago because it had negative connotations associated with their former network chief, who was ousted in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.)

    But my point is if you're not leveraging cognitive bias in promotions, sales, or influence, you risk being ignored.


    "If you would persuade, appeal to interest and not to reason"
    - Benjamin Franklin
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      Perhaps the most powerful cognitive bias I like to use is "being objective".
      A similar one in writing copy is saying that you were "skeptical'. Of course, that's never true. If you have a bias, anything that aligns with it is instantly accepted as proof that you are right.

      New age ads nearly always have one testimonial that uses the phrase "I was skeptical".

      It's purpose is for the reader to say to themselves "Well, this entire idea has obviously been fully vetted. This guy was skeptical, and now he's a believer. no need for further thinking".
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