Question

Think about the last time you argued with a family member about something that happened when you were younger. How might hindsight bias have played a part in your differing memories of the event?

Answer 1

Hindsight bias also known as ' I-knew-it-all-along' tendency. An individual overestimates the result of an outcome and claims to have known the result through out. When I was much younger, perhaps around the age of 10-11, I was seldom allowed to stay out late with my friends. My parents would be too worried and expected me to be back early. When I grew a little older but still young, my parents got comfortable with the idea of letting me be out till late and also have sleepover at my friends. I once told my mother that I won't return home since my friend has a sleepover at her place, my mother flipped out, perhaps because she was already stressed about something, but I felt like I knew it all along that she will not be okay with the idea of me staying out till late with my friends and sleeping over. However, there were previous occasions on which she was okay with it.

Hindsight bias includes selective memory. An individual recollects only certain information of an event or experience and once the result is something that he assumes that he had predicted, makes a person fall prey to hindsight bias.