Blind Spots & Biases: Hidden Forces That Shape Your Decisions

In this well-produced program, viewers learn that the brain has a collection of “mental shortcuts” or biases—related to expectation, belief, availability, anchors, and imitation/conformity—that we are generally unaware of (hence the term “blind spots”), but that are nevertheless frequently used to make decisions or attempt to solve problems. Combining dramatic re-enactments and animation with voiceover narration, each bias here is clearly illustrated with many real-world examples, applicable both to one's personal life and on a broader social scale. Optical illusions are an example of “expectation”—focusing on what we expect to see and ignoring other input; “beliefs” reflect our tendency to accept certain things that we assume will be beneficial and to reject conflicting points; “availability” leads us to accept an option simply because it is most prevalent or easily accessible; the “anchoring effect” occurs when we look for something to use as a starting point, or anchor, before making a judgment; and “imitation/conformity” is a natural component of our social survival skills, as we seek to create and fit into communities. The central point here is that becoming aware of these forces (instead of refusing to admit their influence) and understanding how we can use them as “invisible tools” in our everyday lives can be advantageous. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Gieschen)