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Bias Traps and Design Flops

Bias Traps and Design Flops

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 It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do cognitive biases sneak into our learning designs—and what can we do about it? It quickly became clear this conversation was going to hit close to home. We all fall into these traps—affinity bias, confirmation bias, halo effect, availability heuristic, and the Dunning-Kruger effect. It's not about shame; it's about recognizing that our brains have built-in shortcuts that sometimes help us and sometimes lead us astray. The group shared real examples. One person caught themselves gravitating toward job candidates they liked rather than those with the best portfolios. Another realized they'd been making assumptions about learner personas based on who they wanted the audience to be, not who it actually was. We talked about how personality assessments like DISC can create bias, putting people in boxes and giving them excuses for behavior. And we explored the "squeaky wheel" problem—when one loud voice convincing us "everybody" needs something turns out to be just that one person. The conversation turned practical. How do we catch ourselves? Listen for trigger words like "everyone," "always," and "never." Add a bias checkpoint to your needs analysis process. Share your assumptions with colleagues as accountability partners. One suggestion that landed: upload your training needs analysis into AI and ask it what you missed or overstated—an unbiased second look can reveal blind spots you didn't even know were there. The takeaway wasn't about fixing ourselves overnight. It's about awareness. Recognizing when you're walking that worn path and choosing to step out of the trench. Starting with yourself before trying to point out biases in others. And when you see it happening in stakeholder meetings, using the gentle nudge: "I've heard that too—help me understand who 'everyone' is in your world." So what bias are you going to watch for in your next stakeholder meeting? Stay curious! -Shannon Video Transcript Transcript Summary Chatbox Resources Cognitive Bias Quiz 5 Cognitive Biases Sabotaging Your Learning Programs Explaining the Dunning-Kruger Effect Unmasking the Mind: 11 Cognitive Biases That Can Derail Workplace Decisions (and How to Overcome Them) The Cognitive Bias Checker Books Cognitive Biases - A Brief Overview of Over 160 Cognitive Biases: + Bonus Chapter: Algorithmic Bias by Murat Durmus Mental Models: Learn How to Improve Decision Making, Problem Solving, Develop Better Strategic Thinking and Reasoning Ability to Avoid Cognitive Biases by Joe Silva The Critical Mind: Enhance Your Problem Solving, Questioning, Observing, and Evaluating Skills (Cognitive Development Book 2) by Zoe McKey How Our Brains Betray Us by Magnus McDaniels Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here. Join the conversation Be part of the live chat! Sign up here. Hire Learning Rebels When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more Host: Shannon Tipton Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions
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