Bias | Psychology Today

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As the lines between real and fake blur, Americans increasingly chase the idea of authenticity. The first step may be to consider self-knowledge, truthfulness, and other building blocks on the road to personal growth. Verified by Psychology Today Cognitive Biases, Discrimination, Heuristics, Prejudice, Stereotypes, Racism, Sexism, Self-Serving Bias, Actor/Observer Bias, Change Bias Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Some biases are positive and helpful—like choosing to only eat foods that are considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions or discriminatory practices. Bias is often characterized as stereotypes about people based on the group to which they

Bias | Psychology Today Skip to main content Bias Cognitive Biases, Discrimination, Prejudice, Stereotypes, Racism, Sexism Reviewed by Lybi Ma on March 31, 2026 A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Some biases are positive and helpful-like choosing to solely eat foods considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can lead to prejudgments and rash decisions, or

Bias | Psychology Today

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