Difference Between Logical Fallacies And Cognitive Biases
Logical fallacies and cognitive biases are related concepts. But they refer to different phenomena in the realm of human reasoning and decision-making.
Logical Fallacies:
- Definition: Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning or arguments that may appear sound. They are flawed and can lead to invalid conclusions.
- Nature: Fallacies are mistakes in the structure of an argument, often resulting from faulty logic or misleading reasoning.
- Examples: Ad hominem (attacking the person instead of the argument). Strawman (misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack). Appeal to authority (relying on the opinion of an authority figure rather. Than presenting valid evidence) is are common example of logical fallacies.
- Purpose: Logical fallacies are used to critique the structure of an argument rather than understand the psychological processes influencing individual beliefs.
Cognitive Biases:
- Definition: Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, often stemming from mental shortcuts or heuristics that the brain uses to make decisions quickly.
- Nature: Biases are inherent flaws in the way individuals perceive and process information, leading to deviations from objective or rational judgment.
- Examples: confirmation bias (favoring information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs), availability heuristic (relying on immediate examples that come to mind), and anchoring bias (relying too heavily on the first piece of information encountered) are examples of cognitive biases.
- Purpose: Cognitive biases are used to understand why individuals may make decisions. That deviates from what might be considered purely logical or rational.
Summary
In summary, logical fallacies focus on flaws in the structure of arguments. Whereas cognitive biases focus on systematic patterns of deviation from rationality in judgment. While logical fallacies are more about the form of reasoning. Cognitive biases are about the cognitive processes and mental shortcuts that lead individuals to make less-than-rational decisions. Both concepts are important in understanding how people think, reason, and make decisions.
