Be Aware of the Availability Heuristic
What is it?
The availability heuristic is a tendency for us to rely on information that is easily and quickly accessible (such as media coverage, recent memories, and lasting memories) when making decisions or assumptions about the world. Our brain prioritizes information that is easily memorable and close to us over accuracy, which can lead to bad decisions and overestimated assumptions of the world.
For instance, if you visit your work office on a quiet day and find that there are hardly any people present, you might assume that the office is always empty. This is an example of how the availability heuristic can lead to false conclusions.
How knowing this can help us:
Awareness alone won’t overcome its effect, but you can minimise its impact. Give a second thought to the top-of-mind information and seek out as much as possible so you can understand the bigger picture. It's important to note that being influenced by this heuristic doesn't necessarily mean that you've made a bad decision, but it does imply that you may not have made the best one.
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