The masked-man fallacy is a logical fallacy that is committed when someone assumes that if two or more names or descriptions refer to the same entity, then they can be freely substituted with one another, in a situation where that’s not the case. For example, the masked-man fallacy could occur if someone claimed that, …
The protégé effect is a psychological phenomenon where teaching, pretending to teach, or preparing to teach information to others helps a person learn that information. For example, a student who is studying for an exam could benefit from the protégé effect and improve their understanding of the material, by teaching that material to their peers. …
The authority bias is a cognitive bias that makes people predisposed to believe, support, and obey those that they perceive as authority figures. Most notably, the authority bias is associated with people’s tendency to obey the orders of someone that they perceive as an authority figure, even when they believe that there’s something wrong …
The Google effect and digital amnesia are two related psychological phenomena, which have to do with our tendency to forget information that is available online or stored digitally. For example, the Google effect and digital amnesia could cause someone to forget a certain piece of information, if they know they can find it later by searching the …
Research shows that there are various benefits to playing video games. These include cognitive benefits, such as improved reaction time, improved mental flexibility, and improved spatial abilities, as well as other types of benefits, such as reduced stress levels, increased self-esteem, and increased prosocial behavior. In the following article, you will first learn more …
The appeal to nature is a logical fallacy that occurs when something is claimed to be good because it’s perceived as natural, or bad because it’s perceived as unnatural. For example, a person using an appeal to nature might suggest using herbal remedies when treating a serious medical condition, despite what research says on the …
The handicap principle is a principle in sociobiology which denotes that the more costly it is to make a signal, and the more costly it is to be caught if that signal is dishonest, the more reliable that signal appears. This means that in many cases, for an act of communication to be perceived as …
Sooner or later, the things that you use start falling apart. Clothes are no exceptions, and eventually they start to tear, split at the seams, lose buttons, or suffer from other minor forms of damage. When this happens, a lot of people tend to just throw the item away. However, in most cases you …
The appeal to the stone is a logical fallacy that occurs when a person dismisses their opponent’s argument as absurd, without actually addressing it, or without providing sufficient evidence in order to prove its absurdity. For example, a person using the appeal to the stone in a debate might simply laugh off all of their …
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) is the adage that in many situations, 80% of outcomes are derived from 20% of causes. For example, the Pareto principle could mean that, when it comes to movies, 20% of the films that are being shown in cinemas are responsible for 80% of the ticket …