Analysing your IQ
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AKA: "Expert Worship"
The tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinions of authority figures and be more influenced by them.
Your brain has bugs. Authority Bias is one of them. Understanding this error pattern helps you catch it before it costs you.
You accept a doctor's, professor's, or CEO's claim without scrutiny because of their title, not their argument.
This bias is particularly dangerous because it operates below conscious awareness. By the time you notice it, the damage is often done.
This error is driven by Authority signals competence heuristically; deferring to experts is often efficient but can override critical thinking..
The mechanism is rooted in authority signals competence heuristically; deferring to experts is often efficient but can override critical thinking.. Your brain isn't broken—it's running outdated software in a new environment.
In investing: Authority Bias leads to holding losing positions too long or selling winners too early.
In relationships: This bias causes people to interpret ambiguous signals in ways that confirm existing beliefs about partners.
In work: Authority Bias makes it harder to update strategies when market conditions change.
In health: People ignore symptoms that contradict their self-image as "healthy" or "young."
Authority Bias has been studied extensively since the cognitive revolution. Research consistently shows that even warned subjects fall for it—awareness alone doesn't provide immunity.
Evaluate the argument, not the arguer. Ask: "What is the evidence?" Experts can be wrong outside their domain.
Seek disconfirming evidence: Actively look for data that challenges your current belief.
Use decision journals: Write down predictions before outcomes are known, then review accuracy.
Consult diverse perspectives: People with different backgrounds spot different biases.
Implement decision rules: Pre-commit to criteria before emotionally charged situations arise.
Time-box decisions: Revisit important conclusions after a cooling-off period.
Some brains are more susceptible to this than others. Test your Intelligence to find out.
The tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinions of authority figures and be more influenced by them.
The alternate name "Expert Worship" captures the intuitive essence of the bias. Authority Bias is the formal psychological term, while "Expert Worship" describes what it feels like in practice.
Evaluate the argument, not the arguer. Ask: "What is the evidence?" Experts can be wrong outside their domain.
The underlying mechanism is authority signals competence heuristically; deferring to experts is often efficient but can override critical thinking.. Human brains evolved heuristics for speed and survival, not accuracy in modern contexts.
Yes. Intelligence doesn't provide immunity—sometimes it makes the bias worse because smart people are better at rationalizing. Awareness and structured decision processes are more protective than raw IQ.
You accept a doctor's, professor's, or CEO's claim without scrutiny because of their title, not their argument.