Judgment & Bias

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Influence

The Psychology of Persuasion

By Robert B. Cialdini

Why do people agree to requests that they might reject under more deliberate conditions? In Influence, social psychologist Robert B. Cialdini explains how familiar cues can trigger rapid compliance. The 2007 revised edition organizes its account around six principles: reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. Each principle can support legitimate cooperation, but each can also be engineered by sellers, fundraisers, negotiators, advertisers, and others seeking agreement. Cialdini combines research from social psychology with observations of persuasion in everyday and commercial settings, emphasizing both how influence works and how readers can recognize questionable uses of it. The result is an accessible framework for examining decisions that may feel personal and spontaneous but are often shaped by context. Its central value lies not in promising immunity from persuasion, but in making common influence patterns easier to notice, evaluat…

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The Righteous Mind

Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

By Jonathan Haidt

Why do sincere, decent people reach sharply opposed conclusions about politics, religion, and morality? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that moral judgment usually begins with rapid intuition, while conscious reasoning often arrives afterward to explain or defend what already feels right. He then presents morality as a plural system: people respond to several concerns—including care, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity, and liberty—but cultures and political groups assign them different weight. The final part examines humanity’s capacity to form cohesive groups, proposing that the same moral instincts that make cooperation, institutions, and religious communities possible can also produce tribalism and hostility. Combining psychological research, evolutionary argument, anthropology, political analysis, and memorable metaphors, The Righteous Mind offers a framework for interpreting disagreement without assuming that one’s opponents are merely ignorant or malicious. Its cen…

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Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)

Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

By Carol Tavris , Elliot Aronson

Why do intelligent, decent people defend poor decisions long after the evidence has turned against them? Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson answer through cognitive dissonance: the discomfort produced when facts or actions collide with a favorable view of oneself. Rather than revise that self-image, people often reinterpret evidence, alter memories, blame others, or intensify their original commitment. The authors trace this machinery of self-justification from private quarrels to professional judgment, criminal investigations, political allegiance, prejudice, and international conflict. Their central warning is not merely that people deceive others, but that sincere self-deception can make error remarkably durable. At the same time, the book argues that defensiveness is not destiny. By separating wrongdoing from a total condemnation of the self, individuals and institutions can become more capable of correcting errors, making meaningful apologies, and learning before a small mistake har…

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