Cognitive Bias Analysis

For the full bias catalog (12 biases × mechanism × example) and debiasing techniques per bias, see references/debiasing-protocols.md.

Output Format

# Cognitive Bias Audit: {Decision Context}

## Decision Under Review
- Decision: {what is being decided}
- Decision-makers: {who}
- Current leaning: {which way they're leaning}

## Biases Identified
| Bias | Evidence | Impact | Countermeasure |
|------|----------|--------|---------------|
| {name} | {specific behavior/reasoning} | H/M/L | {debiasing technique} |

## Debiased Recommendation
{What the decision looks like after accounting for identified biases}

Examples

Correct Application

Scenario: Company deciding whether to continue a failing product launch (6 months in, NT$5M spent)

Debiased question: "If a competitor offered us this product line for free, would we take it?" If the answer is no, the product should be discontinued regardless of sunk costs ✓

Incorrect Application

• "The team is biased" without specifying which bias → Not actionable. Violates Iron Law: name the specific bias.

Gotchas

• Everyone has biases, including you: The analyst conducting the bias audit is also biased. Use structured processes (checklists, red teams) rather than relying on self-awareness.
• Bias identification ≠ bias elimination: Knowing about a bias reduces but does not eliminate its effect. Debiasing requires structural interventions (processes, incentives), not just awareness.
• Motivated reasoning looks like analysis: When someone has a preferred outcome, they unconsciously construct logical-sounding arguments for it. Check: did the conclusion come before or after the analysis?
• False balance: Not every decision is biased. Sometimes the team's leaning is correct. Don't force-fit biases where they don't exist.
• Cultural context: Some biases manifest differently across cultures. Authority bias is stronger in hierarchical cultures. Groupthink manifests differently in collectivist vs individualist settings.

References

• For behavioral economics applications of biases, see the econ-behavioral skill
• For group decision-making debiasing protocols, see references/debiasing-protocols.md