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ACTION-ORIENTED BIASES

PERSONALIZED GUIDANCE REPORT

Action-oriented biases are one grouping of cognitive biases. These biases are innate tendencies to take action less thoughtfully than we should. Developing an awareness of your biases brings them to the forefront of your thinking and is the first step toward change. Working to overcome your biases will help you improve your decision-making and problem-solving. It will also enhance your relationships and help you treat people fairly. 

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  1. Action-oriented: Drive us to take action less thoughtfully than we should.  

  2. Interest: Arise in the presence of conflicting incentives, including non-monetary and even purely emotional ones. 

  3. Pattern recognition: Lead us to recognize patterns and sometimes imagine them even where there are none. 

  4. Stability: Create a tendency toward inertia in the presence of uncertainty. 

  5. Social: Arise from the preference for harmony over conflict. 

  6. Self-related: Cause us to judge ourselves differently than we understand and judge others. 

The following graphic is based on your responses and reveals insights into your tendency toward harmony over conflict.  

Read on to learn more! 

ANALYSIS PARALYSIS

Our brain’s default is to shut down when presented with too many options. Overwhelmed by choices, we either postpone or completely avoid taking action. 

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Your responses indicate that you get overwhelmed, confused and find it difficult to make a decision when presented with too many options. You need some time to sort through options before arriving at a decision. Being aware of this bias will help you regulate your behaviors to mitigate the impact of this bias and help you make better decisions.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

Other people might be influenced by Analysis Paralysis biases more or less than you are. Understanding other individuals’ bias levels will help promote constructive conversations with them.

Individuals strongly influenced by this bias indicate that they get overwhelmed, confused, and find it difficult to make a decision when presented with too many options. They need some time to sort through options before arriving at a decision. Being aware of this bias will help them regulate their behaviors and mitigate the impact of this bias to help them make better decisions.

Individuals moderately influenced by this bias are usually not quick decision makers. However, there are times when they can make a decision fairly quickly. They do not always find it difficult to make a decision when presented with many options. 

Individuals free of this bias have clarity of thought and can sort through the options and choices presented to them. They can make a decision quickly without getting overwhelmed by the number of options.  

SLIPPERY SLOPE

Once we’ve performed a small action, we’re more likely to perform additional actions. 

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Your responses indicate that you get involved in causes once you make an initial commitment to them and tend to deepen your commitment after you start participating in the activity. You may follow this pattern in personal relationships as well. This tendency may cause you to tell a person with whom you have shared a little about yourself even more about your feelings and thoughts. Being aware of this bias will help you regulate your behaviors and mitigate the impact of this bias to help you make better decisions.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

Other people might be influenced by the slippery slope bias more or less than you are. Understanding other individuals’ bias levels will help promote constructive conversations with them. 

Individuals strongly influenced by this bias get involved in causes once they make an initial commitment to them and tend to deepen their commitment after they start participating in the activity. They may follow this pattern in personal relationships as well. This tendency may cause them to tell a person with whom they have shared a little about themselves even more about their feelings and thoughts. Being aware of this bias will help them regulate their behaviors and mitigate the impact of this bias to help them make better decisions. 

Individuals moderately influenced by this bias may not always go deeper into initial engagements and relationships. However, this bias can influence them at times to become more committed to activities they have performed once or talk about personal issues with people they are already close to. 

Individuals free of this bias do not engage or become influenced to become more committed. Actions they have taken once or activities they have pursued for a short period do not cause them to go deeper into them. When discussing personal matters, they can withhold information even with those with whom they previously have shared personal information.  

FRAMING EFFECT

We react to choices in different ways depending on how the choices are presented. 

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Your responses indicate that your decisions are influenced by the presentation of objects and ideas. You are swayed by the bells and whistles and the charm surrounding the product or ideas to be evaluated, rather than by the core value they provide. Being aware of this bias will help you regulate your behaviors and mitigate the impact of this bias to help you make better decisions.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

Other people might be influenced by the Framing Effect more or less than you are. Understanding other individuals’ bias levels will help promote constructive conversations with them.  

Individuals strongly affected by this bias are influenced by the presentation of objects and ideas. They are swayed by the bells and whistles and the charm surrounding the product or ideas to be evaluated, rather than by the core value they provide. Being aware of this bias will help them regulate their behaviors and mitigate the impact of this bias to help them make better decisions. 

Individuals moderately influenced by this bias may at times be influenced by the presentation of a product or ideas. However, they may not always be swayed by the presentation and may be able to look at the real value at times.  

Individuals free of this bias are not swayed by the presentation of things but can focus realistically on products, ideas and objects. They can evaluate an idea, product, or object without being influenced by the context, time or how interesting or attractive it appears. 

TRUST BIAS

A trusted brand, service and product or person has an upper hand when compared to something new. Trust can significantly influence our decision making. 

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Your responses indicate that you tend to trust familiar brands, products, services, and people. You are influenced by what has worked before and the impressions of your past experiences. Being aware of this bias tendency will help you make better decisions and apply caution when required.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

Other people might be influenced by the Trust bias more or less than you are. Understanding other individuals’ bias levels will help promote constructive conversations with them. 

Individuals strongly influenced by this bias tend to trust familiar brands, products, services and people. They are influenced by what has worked before and the impressions of their past experiences. Being aware of this bias tendency will help them make better decisions and apply caution when required.  

Individuals moderately influenced by this bias are willing to try something new but they also would probably fall back on the familiar. This bias can influence them to trust people with whom they have interacted earlier more than they would trust a stranger. 

Individuals free of this bias can overcome the influence of past experiences and make objective decisions. 

LIKABILITY EFFECT

We tend to like people who are similar to us.   

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE

Your responses indicate that you prefer those whose traits, habits, and interests are like yours. You tend to form strong connections with people who are like you. You may notice that people close to you share your tastes, habits, and interests. This bias may inhibit you from making new connections with people who are different from you. Being aware of this bias will help you broaden your perspective and be more accepting of others.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

Other people might be influenced by the Likability Effect more or less than you are. Understanding other individuals’ bias levels will help promote constructive conversations with them. 

Individuals strongly influenced by this bias prefer those whose traits, habits, and interests are similar to their own. They tend to form strong connections with people who are like themselves. They may notice that people close to them share your tastes, habits, and interests. This bias may inhibit them from making new connections with people who are different from themselves. Being aware of this bias will help them broaden their perspective and be more accepting of others.  

Individuals moderately influenced by this bias prefer people like them over those who are different, although they will have friends and connections who are different from themselves. While they have strong connections with people who are like them, they also bond well with those with different characteristics and viewpoints. 

Individuals free of this bias are open to interacting and forming close bonds with those who are different from themselves in interests, habits, and traits. They readily associate with those who are different from themselves as well as those with whom they share interests and viewpoints.  

CONCLUSION

Cognitive biases are innate. However, developing an awareness of your biases brings them to the forefront of your thinking and is the first step toward change. Working to overcome your biases will help you improve your decision making and problem solving. It will also enhance your relationships and help you treat people fairly. 

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This guidance was based on your responses to the Social Biases quiz which is one of six different grouping of cognitive biases: 

  1. Action-oriented biases: Drive us to take action less thoughtfully than we should. Take the Action-oriented Biases Quiz 

  2. Interest biases: Arise in the presence of conflicting incentives, including non-monetary and even purely emotional ones. Take the Interest biases Quiz 

  3. Pattern recognition biases: Lead us to recognize patterns and sometimes imagine them even where there are none. Take the Pattern recognition biases Quiz 

  4. Stability biases: Create a tendency toward inertia in the presence of uncertainty. Take the Stability bias biases Quiz 

  5. Social biases: Arise from the preference for harmony over conflict. Take the Social biases Quiz   

  6. Self-related biases: Cause us to judge ourselves differently than we understand and judge others. Take the Self-related biases Quiz

 

Talent Transformation has also developed worksheets to help you develop work on your biases to help you improve your decision making, problem solving, relationships and in being fair. Link to Cognitive Biases Workbook. 

Helpful Resources

Helpful Quizzes