The brain wiring
Keith Bellizzi, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at University of Connecticut, has shared his findings on how Brain Biology affects our biases and hence our beliefs as humans.
- Confirmation bias: This cognitive bias kicks in when people encounter evidence that contradicts their beliefs. Instead of reevaluating their beliefs, people tend to reject the incompatible evidence. Even if they process it, they’ll give it less weight.
- Anchoring bias: It’s where we hold on so strongly to the first thing we know or learn about a topic or subject, even when subsequent info becomes available. This becomes a problem as it can lead to errors in judgment as it keeps you from being objective.
- Cortisol’s hijack: In situations of high stress, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. It makes your brain’s amygdala becomes more active, controlling your innate fight-or-flight reaction. In this mindset, it’ll be hard to hear another viewpoint.
Learn more about how you can train your brain into being more open-minded, literally, in the full article here.
The 7 keys to unlock
When trying to “re-wire” someone else’s POV, Tali Sharot, author and neuroscience professor at University College London, highlights the 7 core elements (Pandey and Gupta, 2019) we can use to align ourselves with others:
- Seeking common ground. Find out the beliefs of the other person you are in agreement with instead of focusing on debatable points.
- Positive framing. Frame the views you’d like the other person to believe positively. It’ll be easier to process and broadens their thoughts and actions.
- Sense of agency. To influence and gain trust from others, they must be given a sense of control or “agency” of the choices presented to them.
- Curiosity. Before giving information to others, point out the gap in their knowledge. Tap into their natural desire to know.
- Incentives. Show how they can benefit from the information given to them, rather than subsequently giving a threat.
- Emotional state. Assess the other person’s mental state. People who are calm and relaxed are more receptive to being influenced.
- Group conformity. The knowledge and acts of others can easily persuade one’s views, especially on social media where information cannot be verified right away.
A mix of the 7 elements above will guide you to meeting halfway with others. Before trying to change people’s ways, be sure what you’re introducing is really what they need.
Find more facts on why we cling to certain beliefs in the full piece by Research.com’s Chief Data Scientist here.
Overcoming it in the workplace
Confirmation bias is there for a reason. Our brain is designed to protect us and our identity as it is. It becomes dangerous when despite there being evidence against it, we continue to belief in certain things or choose to let them be unchecked.
In the workplace, confirmation bias could cause an unwanted ripple effect. A few of its examples include:
- Scenario #1: Research and analysis
Company’s top management instinctively deems a particular product as ‘the next big thing’ and dedicates time, resources and finances to researching and developing it.—> Ideally, the top management would conduct research and market analysis before developing a product, for the best possible and a data-driven chance of success. - Employee relations
If an employee has different beliefs or opinions, there may be prejudice against them. This can introduce negative relationships in the workplace, which can cause tension and hinder productivity.—> It’s important for team managers to showcase inclusivity and ensure a safe and harmonious work environment. - News and media
When an individual reads the news, they are more susceptible to believe claims that confirm or support their pre-existing beliefs—including fake news and misinformation regarding certain companies.—> Checking for reputable sources and enhancing your emotional self-awareness will keep your opinions objective and unswayed.
There are, of course, many other manifestations of confirmation bias and other cognitive biases in the workplace.
Read the full article here to see how it could affect our day-to-day as employees.
