Cognitive Errors- The False Consensus Bias
People interpret and perceive different aspects of society differently. These interpretations and decisions originate from an individual’s attitude and heuristics. When making a decision or a judgment, heuristics play a significant role. Heuristics are mental shortcuts that people use to obtain a conclusion on a given topic, hence perception or judgment. Factors contributing to cognitive errors include availability heuristics, representativeness heuristic, salience, false consensus bias, and overconfidence (Tyler, n.d.).
For instance, I surround myself with friends who have similar traits and characteristics. This similarity is not only limited to interests such as music preference but also in outlook on life. Additionally, to contribute to this perception, when I meet new people, they tend to share my perceptions of outlooks on society. However, during a road trip with a friend, I saw them littering on one occasion. I was baffled by this discovery as most of my friends do not litter, keeping trash with them until they come across a trash can. Based on my ideology, I expected all my friends to behave the same way but was shocked when one of them behaved differently.
A cognitive error influenced this conclusion pertaining to my friend. Various factors contribute to cognitive errors, and in this case, the false consensus bias played a significant role. False consensus bias is a factor that contributes to an individual seeing other people as similar to them (Tyler, n.d.). In my case, I saw a friend as similar to my other friends and me when it came to a specific behavior, but I was shocked when they proved otherwise. Accordingly, my being baffled resulted from this cognitive error that led to a conclusion that was not factual.
References
Tyler, S. Human Behavior and the Social Environment I. University of Arkansas Libraries Fayetteville, Ar.
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Question 
Referring to table 2.1 in chapter one of the textbook, provide an example of a time when you may have committed one of these cognitive errors.
Cognitive Errors- The False Consensus Bias
What factors (e.g., availability and salience) caused the error, and what was the outcome of your use of the shortcut or heuristic?