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Cognitive Biases: Three Common Types Illustrated

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In a world of information overload, we can fall victim to all sorts of cognitive biases. Since they can lead us to generate false conclusions, it’s particularly important to understand what these biases are and how they work, as the consequences can become quite drastic.

Confirmation bias, sampling bias, and brilliance bias are three examples that can affect our ability to critically engage with information. Jono Hey of Sketchplanations walks us through these cognitive bias examples, to help us better understand how they influence our day-to-day lives.

Confirmation Bias

Cognitive Bias Examples - Confirmation

One of the most-commonly encountered and understood, you’re likely to have already heard about confirmation bias. This cognitive bias affects the way we test and evaluate hypotheses every day.

In simple terms, confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out or interpret evidence in such a way that supports our own strongly-held beliefs or expectations. This means that, given access to the same set of data and information, different people can come to wildly differing conclusions.

Feeding into confirmation bias can lead us to make ill-informed choices or even reinforce negative stereotypes. For this reason, it is important to remember to seek out information that both confirms and contradicts your presumptions about a certain topic.

Sampling Bias

Cognitive Bias Examples - Sampling

Sampling bias is a kind of bias that allows us to come to faulty conclusions based on inaccurate sample groups or data. Generally, the cause of sample bias is in poor study design and data collection.

When polling individuals for survey questions, it is important to get a representative picture of an entire population. But this can prove surprisingly difficult when the people generating the study are also prone to human flaws, including cognitive biases.

A common example involves conducting a survey on which political party is likely to win an election. If the study is run by a professor who only polls college students, since they are around and therefore easier to collect information from, the poll will not accurately reflect the opinions of the general population.

To avoid sampling bias, it is important to randomize data collection to ensure responses are not skewed towards individuals with similar characteristics.

Brilliance Bias

Cognitive Bias Examples - Brilliance

Brilliance bias is another common cognitive bias that makes us more likely to think of genius as a masculine trait. This is in part due to the lack of female representation in both traditional academic and executive positions.

In fact, The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology published an in-depth study on brilliance bias in 2020. It suggests that a likely source of this bias is in the uneven distribution of men and women across careers typically associated with higher level intelligence.

While this distribution is a remnant of historical factors that limited access to education and career choices for women in the past, its presence has made us (wrongly) conclude that women are less brilliant instead. Naturally, as the cycle perpetuates the uneven distribution of women in these careers, it only reinforces this bias.

Other Cognitive Bias Examples

These few examples from Jono Hey give a good overview of some of the biases we face when trying to understand the data given to us, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.

It is important to be cognizant of these biases in an era where we are constantly engaging with information, especially if we want to combat some of the harmful consequences they entail.

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Misc

Ranked: 20 Least Popular Dog Breeds in the U.S.

Explore the 20 most uncommon dog breeds in America in this infographic.

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This infographic shows the 20 least popular dog breeds in the United States.

Ranked: The 20 Least Popular Dog Breeds in the U.S.

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Dogs are the most common type of pet in the United States—65 million U.S. households own a dog as of 2024.

However, some dog breeds dominate U.S. households, while others remain relatively unknown to the general public.

This infographic highlights America’s least popular dog breeds based on registration statistics from the American Kennel Club, the world’s largest registry of purebred dogs. The latest registration data is for the year 2023.

The Underdogs: America’s Least Popular Dog Breeds

Many of the most unpopular dogs in the U.S. are historically hunting breeds.

The Sloughi, a hunting breed with origins in North Africa, is the least popular dog breed in the United States. It has dropped two spots in popularity since 2022, when it ranked third in the list.

RankBreed
1Sloughi
2English Foxhound
3Norwegian Lundehund
4Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
5Azawakh
6Belgian Laekenois
7Finnish Spitz
8Polish Lowland Sheepdog
9Cesky Terrier
10Canaan Dog
11Harrier
12Otterhound
13Bergamasco Sheepdog
14Pyrenean Shepherd
15Dandie Dinmont Terrier
16Skye Terrier
17Cirnechi dell'Etna
18Entlebucher Mountain Dog
19American Foxhound
20Plott Hound

The English Foxhound, a scent-driven hunting dog from the UK, has been among the 20 least popular dog breeds since 2009.

The Norwegian Lundehund has been slowly climbing the rankings since taking the bottom spot in 2021, now ranking third. The breed was on the brink of extinction in the 1960s and its population has since been restored.

While many of the unpopular hunting breeds have remarkable characteristics like agility and endurance, their needs often do not align with modern pet ownership. Many require significant exercise and activity, while others have unique traits that make them less appealing to pet owners.

Yet, these under-appreciated dog breeds offer a rich history, unique companionship, and plenty of devotion.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Which other types of pets do Americans own besides dogs? See Visualizing the Most Common Pets in the U.S. on the Voronoi app to learn more.

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