Most people tend to value options that come to mind quickly as an accurate description without giving a second thought about the situation. The brain is hindered from evaluating the case or analyzing to come up with the facts.
It is easy to use availability bias to make a decision. But the judgment delivered is not well-thought-out. It is a lack of in-depth thinking leading to poor decision making.
Availability Bias Examples
- When you listen to lottery winners, you get too motivated to try out your luck and feel there is a high chance of winning. This leads to more spending as try out your luck with lottery tickets.
- When you see other people losing jobs, you get worried about yourself. You become stressed and spend sleepless nights worrying that you are going to lose your income.
- After you have watched the news on insecurity, you start worrying and even change your lifestyle to feel safer. A good example is not letting your child out of sight.
- After you have read or watched the news about sharks, you start worrying a lot and will not even enjoy your vacation. You can end up not swimming or having fun in the water to due to fear of being attacked by a shark.
How to Avoid Availability Bias
Availability bias can be interpreted as laziness. It is not a useful attribute because you will always be looking for shortcuts. If you are eager to find an easy way out means that you may not follow the stipulated procedures. In some situations, hasty decisions can have devastating results. Here are tips you can use to get rid of availability bias.
Interact with Diverse PeopleIf you are at the workplace or in the neighbourhood where you live; availability bias can affect your interaction with others. To control this, you should begin by socializing with people with different experiences and opinions. Allow these people to challenge your thinking. Over time, you will start to understand their point of view.
- Listen
Listening allows you to understand others and learn from them. Different people will share diverse ideas. You should participate in these discussions by speaking less and listening more. Once you fit in these group debates, then other people will start including you in conversations. You will also begin to evaluate your opinions before voicing them. This controls the availability bias effectively.
- Always Question Yourself
You can create a habit of asking yourself if you are right about something. Allow your brain to review any single idea that crosses your mind. You can do this by researching or sharing these ideas with others before you validate them.
- Set Procedures
If you are working with a team, you can set some ground rules for making decisions. Allow your network to participate and give their perspectives. Procedures will help create standards of a verdict related to anything. These techniques will eventually help avoid availability bias. This is important, especially if you are a team leader. Train your mind to reason and align with rules that facilitate critical thinking.
- Be Curious
You have to condition your mind to keep on learning, even from little things around you. If you allow yourself inti mental laziness, you will have shallow ideas. It would help if you took every opportunity to learn and empower yourself with knowledge. Always seek logic for the position that you have on the table. This will make you intelligent and capable of making rational choices.
- Be Aware
When you acknowledge your mistakes or weaknesses, you can cope with it and control it more effectively. It would be best if you were alert when giving n opinion. Carry out due diligence, background research, and let others share their thoughts. Evaluate the situation before you speak and pass judgment. Do not be in denial because this will not help with availability bias for your mental capacity.
An Easy Process to Get Rid of Availability Bias
Availability bias is manifested daily in the workplace. Senior managers and decision-makers may be affected, leading to poor judgment. This can have adverse effects on the organization. However, availability bias can happen in any situation. It can be at home with family, in the neighborhood or when you are interacting with friends. Here are some simple steps you can follow o make a sound decision.
- Think Solution
When a problem is presented to you, the first step is to identify the required solution. For instance, if your neighbor knocks at your door to request that you keep the noise down. The answer is to reduce the sound.
- Gather Data
You need to know the origin of and cause of the problem. Gather all data that can help you make the right decision. For instance, if you have an outdoor party with noisy public address systems, you may consider taking it indoors.
- Get Options
If the noise is too much for your neighborhood, you may reconsider the venue. You can turn down the volume or ask your guest to keep it down. If you have to make noise all the time, you can soundproof your home. There are endless options.
- Get Evidence
In a scenario at the office, you may have a dilemma that can have devastating effects on one of the employees. Such sensitive decisions have to be handled with care, Ask for proof and let the accused also tell their side of the story.
- Review
This is the hardest part of decision making. You consider all facts given to you as well as the information that you find out from doing research. For instance, if the neighbor complaining about noise also holds loud parties, how do you handle this? If the person accused at the workplace is a minority disliked in the office, what can you do?
- Take Action
When delivering your verdict or speaking out your thoughts, you must use the right words and tone. Be clear and concise about your decision.
Availability bias affects how you make your decisions because you act according to information around you. While it is essential, sometimes it can make you act on incorrect assessments. Just because something looms in your mind, it doesn’t mean it will happen to you.