Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, where individuals create their own subjective reality based on their perception of the input. They are mental shortcuts or heuristics that can lead to perceptual distortion, inaccurate judgment, illogical interpretation, or what is broadly called irrationality. In software development, understanding these biases helps improve decision-making, code reviews, and team collaboration.
Developers should learn about cognitive biases to enhance critical thinking, reduce errors in problem-solving, and foster better team dynamics by recognizing how biases affect design choices, debugging, and project planning. For example, awareness of confirmation bias can prevent overlooking alternative solutions, while anchoring bias awareness helps in more accurate estimation during sprint planning.