Question

1. Research a psychological placebo bias. Provide some in-depth explanation of what the bias is and how it works that goes beyond what the Wiki page provides. Support your explanation with a citation that is not from another Wiki page.

2. Provide a current issue or real-world example where this bias is prevalent. Make sure to clearly identify what the issue is and give examples of the bias at work.

3. Learn how we can defend or check back against this bias. This can be through a psychological trick, argumentative tactic, or something that can help us not fall victim to our own biases. The more innovative, the better.

Answer 1

Shermer, M., 2011. The believing brain. Scientific American, 305(1), p.85.1 A psychological Bias

Anchoring Bias

After researches it can be stated that, Anchoring Bias is a cognitive Bias that refers to the Tendency to rely too firstly on an initial piece of some information. This Biasness leads to final decision very firstly.This Biasness is used to make subsequent Judgement. This kind of Biasness has a strong effect on the decision that was made by this biasness. (Jussim, 2012)

People have the tendency to estimate something by just some initial information. This can highly affect the decision.Sometimes people even rejects a good or wise decision just for this Anchoring Biasness.The Anchoring Bias can be present anywhere and any situation.

According to a research, Even Arbitrary numbers can influence participants to make an Incorrect Decision.

Example

If a person goes to buy a car and sets a price of the car in his or her own mind, he never asks the seller for the negotiation if his budget and the cars price are similar. Even the seller is demanding high price for the car, he never argue with the seller if he thinks this price is reasonable.

2-

Real World Bias

Selecting Neighbors Based on Racial Choices

A big example of Real-World Bias could be, choosing Neighbors by the Racial Preference. People have a tendency to assume others by their personal opinion and choices. Sometimes this kind of personal preference leads to biasness.(Shermer, 2011).

For Example

Some White Native Americans always think that a Black African can never be a good and helping neighbor. Just because he is an African, he have dominating and violent traits. This kind of thinking or behavior only comes from a strong Biasness. As we all know that stereotype has a strong impact on the Biasness. So a Strong Stereotype about the Aftricans can be the cause of this Biasness.

3 Methods of Defending Biasness

Group Contact

Allport has stated that, a group contact can leads to reduce Biasness. If A group has some Biasness about some other group then Interaction between the two groups can helps to reduce the Biasness. This kind of Group contact helps to know about each other and can leads to a biasfree Judgement.

As example- Sometimes we make a biased Judgement just because of lack of information about that particular group or person. But when we connect with them we realize that this particular group or person is good.

Social Laws

Government in some different countries have taken some legislation to reduce the Biasness.In some countries Discrimination between Castes, Sex and religion is strictly Prohibited and can be the cuase of Legal Punishment. This kind of Socail Legal Steps are very much effective in reducing Biasness.

Propaganda

A recent Survey have found that, an Antibias Propaganda can leads to reducing of Biasness. An effective and Antibias Documentary and flim can influence people a lot. Many psychologists are considering this method as the best strategy to reduce Biasness.(Meier and O’Toole, 2012)

Proper Education

A proper education can helps to reduce Biasness. As a child learn everything from the parents. So a parents can play a very important role in Reducing the Biasness. If the child learned not to judge anyone by their personal preferences, then he can be a biasfree person in future.

Not only the parents, a teacher also plays an important role in reducing the biasness. As all the child considers a teacher as their Idol or Inspiration, so a teachers attitude towards the Biasness will strongly effect the child.

Personality Therapy

Famous Psychologist Feldman stated that, A person should have an open mind and Balanced personality, for reducing Biasness. So if the person has a negative personality or some behavioral Problems then the other techniques of reducing Biasness not going to work.(Groeling, 2013)

According to Eysenck, Human Personality has different traits. So it is very much difficult to reduce Biasness if the person is having some negative traits.

There are some Personality change therapies which helps to give a Biasfree and positive mind. This kind of Psychological Techniques really have some strong impacts in Reducing Biasness.

References

Shermer, M., 2011. The believing brain. Scientific American, 305(1), p.85

Meier, K.J. and O’Toole, L.J., 2012. Subjective organizational performance and measurement error: Common source bias and spurious relationships. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 23(2), pp.429-456.

Gal-Or, E., Geylani, T. and Yildirim, T.P., 2012. The impact of advertising on media bias. Journal of Marketing Research, 49(1), pp.92-99.

Groeling, T., 2013. Media bias by the numbers: Challenges and opportunities in the empirical study of partisan news. Annual Review of Political Science, 16.

Jussim, L., 2012. Liberal privilege in academic psychology and the social sciences: Commentary on Inbar & Lammers (2012). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(5), pp.504-507.

Abbott, N. and Cameron, L., 2014. What makes a young assertive bystander? The effect of intergroup contact, empathy, cultural openness, and in?group bias on assertive bystander intervention intentions. Journal of Social Issues, 70(1), pp.167-182.