What does cognitive bias refer to?

Cognitive bias refers to systematic patterns of deviation in judgment and decision-making. These biases occur when individuals draw conclusions based on subjective factors rather than objective reality. This can lead to errors in reasoning, judgment, and decision-making processes due to the reliance on personal beliefs, experiences, and heuristics.

For example, a common cognitive bias is confirmation bias, where individuals favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs while disregarding evidence that contradicts them. Understanding cognitive biases is crucial because they can significantly affect how people interpret information and make decisions in various contexts, such as in legal settings, medical diagnoses, and everyday choices.

The other options address different psychological concepts. Unconscious motivations influencing behavior pertain more to psychoanalysis, while emotional responses involve affective psychology. Personality traits influencing decision-making relate to traits theory in psychology, but they do not directly capture the essence of cognitive bias.