Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions

Outcome Bias

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:14:32 +0000

Why do we judge decisions by how they turn out - rather than how they were made? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore outcome bias - the tendency to evaluate the quality of a decision based on its result, instead of the reasoning behind it.

Discover how good decisions can lead to bad outcomes (and vice versa), how hindsight skews our judgement, and how to focus on the process rather than the result when it matters most.

Studies and links:

Outcome Bias in Decision Evaluation | Jonathon Baron and John C. Hershey | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1988, Vol. 54, No. 4, 569-579 outcomebias.pdf

Outcome Bias: Definition, Examples and Effects | clearerthinking.org Outcome Bias: Definition, Examples and Effects

The Fundamental Attribution Error

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:16:42 +0000

Why do we blame people's haracter for their actions - but excuse our own behaviour as "just the situation"? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions. we explore the fundamental attribution error - the tendency to overestimate personal traits and underestimate situational factors when judging others.

Discover how this bias shapes the way we interpret behavior, why we're quick to label others but slow to consider context, and how recognising this pattern can lead to fairer, more accurate judgements.

Studies and links:

The Attribution of Attitudes | Edward E. Jones and Victor A. Harris | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 3, 1-24 (1967) PII: 0022-1031(67)90034-0

Fundamental Attribution Error Theory in Psychology | Simply Psychology Fundamental Attribution Error Theory in Psychology

Hindsight Bias

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:09:28 +0000

Why do events feel obvious after they've already haappened? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore hindsight bias - the tendency to see outcomes as predictable in retrospect, even when they weren't at the time.

Discover how this "knew it all along" effect distorts memory, inflates confidence in our judgement, and makes us underestimate uncertainty.

Studies and links:

Hindsight^Foresight: The Effect of Outcome Knowledge on Judgment Under Uncertainty | Baruch Fischhoff Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel | Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 1975, Vol. 1, No. 3, 288-299 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fischhoff_1975_Hindsight_is_not_equal_to_foresight.pdf

Hindsight Bias | The Decision Lab Hindsight Bias - The Decision Lab

The Pratfall Effect

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:36:18 +0000

Why does making a small mistake sometimes make someone more likeable? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the pratfall effect - the psychological phenomenon where a minor slip-up can actually increase someone's appeal, especially if they're already seen as competent.

Discover how imperfection can humanise us, how confidence interacts with mistakes, and how a flaw can actually make you more relatable.

Studies and links:

The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness | Elliot Aronson, University of Texas | Ben Willerman, Social Science Research Council | Joanne Floyd, University of Utah | scispace.com The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness.

The Pratfall Effect | Everyday PsychThe Pratfall Effect - Everyday Psych

Moral Licensing

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:10:51 +0000

Why are we more inclined to make a bad choice after doing something good? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore moral licensing - the psychological effect where past "good" behaviour subconsciously gives us permission to act less ethically or responsibly later on.

Discover how small acts of virtue can quietly justify poor decisions, how we balance our actions like a mental scoreboard, and how important it is to recognise when you're using past choices to excuse present ones.

Studies and links:

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior | Ethics Unwrapped Buying Green: Consumer Behavior - Ethics Unwrapped

Do Green Products Make Us Better People? | Nina Mazar, Chen-Bo Zhong | University of Toronto | In Press at Psychological Science Green Products Psych Sci.pdf

The False Consensus Effect

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:11:51 +0000

Why do we assume that most people think the same way we do? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the false consensus effect - the cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate how much others share our beliefs, opinions and behaviours.

Discover how our own perspectives subtly become the "default" in our minds, how we expect agreement more often than reality delivers, and how recognising this bias can help you understand others more accurately and think beyond your own assumptions.

Studies and links:

The "False Consensus Effect": an Egocentric Bias in Social Perception and Attribution Processes | Lee Ross, David Greene and Pamela House | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 13 | bulidomics.com PII: 0022-1031(77)90049-X

False Consensus Effect: Definition and Examples | Simply Psychology False Consensus Effect: Definition and Examples

The Spotlight Effect

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:08:45 +0000

Why do we feel like everyone is watching us - even when they probably aren't? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the spotlight effect - the cognitive bias that makes us believe our actions, mistakes and appearance are being noticed far more than they actually are.

Discover how we overestimate how much attention others pay to us, how this illusion can fuel embarrassment and social anxiety, and how understanding it can help you feel freer to act without the constant fear of being judged.

Studies and links:

The Spotlight Effect in Social Judgment: An Egocentric Bias in Estimates of the Salience of One's Own Actions and Appearance | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2000, Vol. 78, No. 2, 211-222 | Thomas Gilovich, Victoria Husted Medvec and Kenneth Savitsky | psychologyib.com amp78020211.tif

Why do we feel like we stand out more than we really do? | Decision Lab Spotlight effect - The Decision Lab

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:17:06 +0000

Why do our expectations so often become our reality? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the self‑fulfilling prophecy — the psychological phenomenon where beliefs and assumptions influence behaviour until they make themselves true.

Discover how expectations shape actions, why other people’s beliefs can affect your performance, and how changing your internal predictions can shift the outcomes you experience.

Studies and links:

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy In Psychology: Definition & Examples | Simply Psychology Self-Fulfilling Prophecy In Psychology: Definition & Examples

Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectation and Pupils' Intellectual Development | Western Kentucky University people.wku.edu/steve.groce/RosenthalJacobson-PygmalionintheClassroom.pdf

The Halo and Devil Effect

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:14:17 +0000

Why does one good trait make someone seem completely brilliant - while one flaw makes them seem entirely flawed? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the halo effect and the devil effect - the biases that cause a single impression to shape how we judge someone's entire character.

Discover how first impressions spill over into assumptions about intelligence and competence, and how to recognise when one standout trait is distorting your overall judgement.

Studies and links:

Reboot Foundation | Everything You Need To Know About The Halo Effect Everything You Need To Know About The Halo Effect | REBOOT FOUNDATION

Ideal Role | The Halo Effect - The power of first impressions The Halo Effect - The power of first impressions

The Zeigarnik Effect

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:06:21 +0000

Why do unfinished tasks stick in our minds long after we've stopped working on them? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Zeigarnik Effect - the psychological phenomenon where incomplete tasks are remembered more clearly than completed ones.

Discover why open loops create mental tension, how unfinished work captures your attention, and how to use this effect to stay motivated.

Studies and Links:

The Art of Sustainable Performance: The Zeigarnik Effect | Research Gate (PDF) The Art of Sustainable Performance: The Zeigarnik Effect

Zeigarnik Effect Examples in Psychology | Simply Psychology Zeigarnik Effect Examples in Psychology

Loss Aversion

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:22:20 +0000

Why does losing something hurt more than gaining the same thing feels good? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore loss aversion - the psychological bias that makes losses feel more powerful, painful and important than equivalent gains.

Discover how fear of loss shapes decision-making and behaviour; why we cling onto what we already have; and how to overcome this bias to get rid of old ideals and create space for improvement.

Studies and Links:

Why do we buy insurance? | The Decision Lab Loss Aversion - The Decision Lab

Why do we value items more if they belong to us? | The Decision Lab Endowment Effect - The Decision Lab

Why are we likely to continue with an investment even if it would be rational to give it up? | The Decision Lab The Sunk Cost Fallacy - The Decision Lab

Loss aversion in riskless choice: a reference-dependent model | Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman | Oxford University Press | UFL Loss Aversion in Riskless Choice: A Reference-Dependent Model

Temporal Discounting

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 12:01:43 +0000

Why do we choose short-term rewards even when we know waiting would be better? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore temporal discounting - the tendency to value immediate rewards more highly than future ones, even when the future payoff is larger or wiser.

Discover how time distorts our judgement, and how understanding this bias can help you make decisions that you future self will actually thank you for.

Studies and links:

Time Discounting and Time Preference: A Critical Review | Shane Frederick, George Loewenstein and Ted O'Donoghue | Journal of Economic Literature Vol. XL | Carnegie Mellon University TimeDiscounting.pdf

The Framing Effect

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:31:46 +0000

Does the way information is presented change how we decide - even when the facts stay the same? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the framing effect - the cognitive bias that causes our choices to shift depending on whether something is framed as a gain or a loss.

Discover how wording steers our decisions, how identical options can feel compltetely different, and what to do to improve your judgement, so that you don't fall for the frame and start seeing reality.

Studies and links:

The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice | Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman Untitled

Framing Effect in Psychology | Simply Psychology Framing Effect In Psychology

The Dunning Kruger Effect

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 11:44:44 +0000

Why do people with the least experience often feel the most confident - while true expertise comes with doubt? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Dunning-Kruger Effect - the cognitive bias that causes people with limited knowledge or skill to overestimate their ability, while more competent individuals feel less confident.

Discover how gaps in self-awareness distort confidence, why learning can initially make us feel worse before we get better, and how to spot when confidence is coming from ignorance rather than understanding.

Studies and links:

Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments | Research Gate | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (PDF) Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments

How the Dunning-Kruger Effect works | Very Well Mind The Dunning-Kruger Effect: An Overestimation of Capability

The Progress Principle

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:13:07 +0000

Why does making even small progress feel so motivating — and why do setbacks drain us so quickly? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the progress principle — the idea that consistent, meaningful progress is one of the strongest drivers of motivation, engagement, and well-being. When we feel like we’re moving forward, our confidence grows; when progress stalls, motivation collapses.

Discover how recognising small wins can transform performance, persistence, and morale — and how to structure your goals to keep momentum working in your favour.

Studies and links:

The Progress Principle | Psychology Fanatic Understanding the Progress Principle: Small Wins for Big Success - Psychology Fanatic

The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work | Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer (2011)

Confirmation Bias

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:00:55 +0000

Why do we seek out information that agrees with us — and ignore what doesn’t? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore confirmation bias — the tendency to favour evidence that supports our existing beliefs while dismissing or downplaying anything that challenges them.

Discover how to recognise when you’re searching for reassurance instead of truth — and how to challenge your own thinking before it locks you into the wrong conclusion.

Studies and Links:

On the failure to eliminate hypotheses in a conceptual task | Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology | Peter Wason wason-qjep1960.pdf

Cognitive Biases and Brain Biology Help Explain Why Facts Don't Change Minds | UConn Today

Cognitive Biases and Brain Biology Help Explain Why Facts Don't Change Minds - UConn Today

Anchoring Bias

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:04:14 +0000

Why do first numbers stick in our minds — even when we know they’re arbitrary? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore anchoring bias — the mental shortcut that causes us to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we encounter when making decisions. From price tags and negotiations to estimates, grades, and everyday judgments, we uncover how initial anchors quietly pull our thinking off course.

Discover how to recognise when an anchor is shaping your choices — and how to break free from its influence so you can think more clearly and decide more deliberately.

Studies and links:

Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases | Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky tversky_k_heuristics_biases.pdf

Anchoring bias & Adjustment Heuristic: Definition and Examples | Simply Psychology Anchoring Bias and Adjustment Heuristic in Psychology

The Availability Error

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:25:50 +0000

Why do rare events feel far more common than they really are? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the availability error — the mental shortcut that makes us judge probability based on how easily examples come to mind. From dramatic news stories to personal memories that stick with us, we uncover how vivid or recent information can distort our perception of risk, influence our decisions, and quietly shape our fears and beliefs.

Discover how to spot when your judgement is being guided by what’s most memorable — not what’s most accurate — and how to recalibrate your thinking when it matters most.

Studies and links:

Availability Heuristic and Decision Making | Simply Psychology Availability Heuristic In Psychology: Definition & Examples

Availability: A Heuristic for judging Frequency and Probability | Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman Tversky availability.pdf

Addiction

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:13:08 +0000

Why do some people spiral into addiction while others — even with the same access — stay completely fine? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we dive into Bruce Alexander’s groundbreaking work on addiction, namely, the famous Rat Park experiment. His research shows that addiction isn’t just about drugs — it’s about environment, connection, and purpose. Rats in isolated, barren cages became addicted, while those in enriched, social environments avoided drugs almost entirely.

Discover how social disconnection, loneliness, and lack of meaningful engagement can drive addictive behaviour — and how creating supportive, connected environments can help prevent or even reverse it. This episode will change how you think about addiction, shifting the focus from individual weakness to the power of context and human connection.

Studies and links:

What Does “Rat Park” Teach Us About Addiction? | Psychiatric Times What Does “Rat Park” Teach Us About Addiction? | Psychiatric Times

What can the Rat Park experiment teach us about addiction? | UK Addiction Treatment Centres What can the Rat Park experiment teach us about addiction? - UK Addiction Treatment Centres

Priming

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 15:24:32 +0000

Why do subtle cues in our environment quietly shape our thoughts, feelings, and decisions—often without us noticing? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we dive into priming — the psychological phenomenon where exposure to certain words, images, or ideas can influence how we interpret the world and how we behave next. From tiny triggers that nudge our mood to hidden cues that shift our judgement or performance, we uncover how effortlessly our minds can be steered in a particular direction.

Discover what priming reveals about the automatic mind, how everyday environments quietly “set the tone” for your choices, and how becoming aware of these subtle influences can help you take back control of your decisions before they’re made for you.

Studies and links:

Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype Activation on Action | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1996. Vol. 71, No. 2. 230-244 Bargh_et_al_1996_Automaticity_of_social_behavior.pdf

Priming a New Identity: Self-Monitoring Moderates the Effects of Nonself Primes on Self-Judgments and Behavior | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005, Vol. 89, No. 5, 657– 671 2005-jpsp-demarree-wheeler-petty.pdf

Washing Away Your Sins: Threatened Morality and Physical Cleansing | Science 313, 1451 (2006); - Zhong & Liljenquist 2006.pdf

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 12:11:58 +0000

Why do ordinary people slip into cruel or submissive roles the moment power is handed out? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we examine the Stanford Prison Experiment — the infamous study that revealed just how quickly authority, environment, and assigned roles can transform behaviour. From guards who escalated into aggression to prisoners who internalised obedience and distress, we explore how the situation—not personality—can push people into extremes they never imagined.

Discover what this experiment teaches us about the power of context, how easily we can lose ourselves in the roles we’re given, and how to stay grounded when a situation starts shaping you more than you realise.

Studies and links:

The Menace Within | Stanford Magazine The Menace Within | STANFORD magazine

Stanford Prison Experiment | Simply Psychology Stanford Prison Experiment

The Bystander Effect

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:08:41 +0000

Why do people fail to step in during an emergency — even when they know someone needs help? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the psychology behind the bystander effect — the strange social phenomenon where the presence of others makes us less likely to take action. From classic studies by Darley and Latané to real-world moments where hesitation can have serious consequences, we uncover how responsibility gets diluted, how uncertainty freezes us, and how we take cues from those around us without even noticing.

Discover how to recognise the moments when you’re silently waiting for someone else to act — and how to break the paralysis so you can step forward when it matters most.

Studies and links:

Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1968, Vol. 8, No. 4, 377-383 Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility.

Bystander Effect In Psychology | Simply Psychology Bystander Effect In Psychology

Conforming to a Group

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 12:14:54 +0000

Why do we go along with the crowd, even when we know they might be wrong? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we dive into the psychology of group conformity — the powerful social pull that makes us blend in, stay quiet, and follow others, often without realizing it. From classic experiments like Asch’s line test to everyday situations where peer pressure subtly shapes our choices, we uncover how group influence can override logic, independence, and even morality.

Discover how to spot when you’re conforming just to fit in — and how to break free from the herd when it matters most.

Studies and links:

Effects of Group Pressure Upon the Modification and Distortion of Judgments | gwern.net 1952-asch.pdf

Asch Conformity Line Experiment | Simply Psychology Asch Conformity Line Experiment

Obedience to Authority

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 15:50:35 +0000

Why do ordinary people follow orders that go against their morals? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we look at the psychology behind obedience to authority. Through the lens of Stanley Milgram’s shocking experiment, we explore how power, pressure, and perceived responsibility can override personal judgment.

Learn what this reveals about human nature—and how understanding it can help you make decisions that are truly your own.

Studies and links:

Behavioral Study of Obedience | The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology Vol. 67, No. 4, 1963 milgram.pdf

Stanley Milgram Shock Experiment | Simply Psychology Milgram Shock Experiment | Summary | Results | Ethics