Question

Why might cognitive biases be an adaptation to one's surroundings? What "advantages" do you see in terms of these biases (in terms of shortcuts in thinking, saving time, etc.)?

Answer 1

Bias is a part of normal routine life, whether it be a mental processing, target recognition, heuristic thinking or social judgements, bias is a part, both the implicit and the explicit. Bias helps to categorize things by generalizing them. This generalization makes the brain think less for a concept that has it has been familarized with before or a similar situation. Cognition bias helps to recognize the easy short term targets and outcomes that are more practical, than the long term one's. It helps to choose the available options from the already generalized concepts, thus, short cuts are used speeding up the process of scrutinizing and decision making. If the brain is engaged is long and deep thinking everytime for a task then there is always a possibility that the task would be abandoned soon, cognitive bias prevents this, the easy shortcuts keeps up the motivation level and the targets are achieved. Thus, the implicit and the explicit cognitive bias gives a workable easy generalization of the situations of one's surroundings and helps to adjust to them.