2,855
edits
Additive Bias: Difference between revisions
m
no edit summary
mNo edit summary |
mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Additive | [[File:Additive Bias.png|alt=Cartoon illustration showing the principle of additive bias, with a stable stack of blocks on one side and an unstable, tipping stack on the other side, symbolizing the negative effects of adding too much|thumb|'''Figure 1'''. Less is more.]] | ||
'''Additive bias refers to a [[Cognitive biases|cognitive bias]] where individuals, when faced with a problem, are more inclined to opt for solutions that involve adding new elements or features rather than looking for solutions that simplify by removing existing components.''' | |||
One study on this tendency published in 2021 found that we don't necessarily struggle to process solutions that involve subtraction rather than addition, we just tend to find adding things more obvious in most cases. | One study'''<ref>'''Adding is favoured over subtracting in problem solving.''' Tom Meyvis & Heeyoung Yoon. Nature 592, 189-190 (2021). doi: <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00592-0</nowiki>. Accessed on 1 Jun 2023 via https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00592-0</ref>''' on this tendency published in 2021 found that we don't necessarily struggle to process solutions that involve subtraction rather than addition, we just tend to find adding things more obvious in most cases. | ||
This effect seems to be amplified when problem-solvers are under a heightened cognitive load and though folks in this study did see the value in subtractive solutions when prompted, they were less likely to immediately recognize shortcomings in additive solutions compared to shortcomings in subtractive ones. | This effect seems to be amplified when problem-solvers are under a heightened cognitive load and though folks in this study did see the value in subtractive solutions when prompted, they were less likely to immediately recognize shortcomings in additive solutions compared to shortcomings in subtractive ones. | ||