Confirmation bias is when you tend to favor information that confirms your beliefs. In common language, we might call it “wishful thinking.”
The Bandwagon effect is when you tend to believe things just because other people do. Like all your friends like Usher, so so do you.
Here’s another one: the Weird bias.
The Weird bias is simply this: when you have a tendency toward something just because it’s weird, abnormal, or unconventional. I’m guessing this has a technical name for it too. I’m sure other people have identified it as well. I just haven’t been able to find it.
What I do know, though, is that I definitely suffer from it, if suffer is really the right word. I definitely tend toward weird. If no one’s doing something, that’s reason enough for me to explore it. And in reverse, if everyone’s already tried something, it doesn’t appeal to me as much.
Most of the time, I don’t mind this bias. Most of the time, it keeps things interesting. But I think it’s good to keep in mind, because sometimes it will just get me into trouble.
