认知偏差 Cognitive Bias — HSK 6 Reading

我们wǒmen总zǒng以为yǐwéi自己zìjǐ的de判断pànduàn客观kèguān理性lǐxìng，然而rán'ér心理学xīnlǐxué研究yánjiū表明biǎomíng，人脑rénnǎo天生tiānshēng带着dàizhe各种各样gè zhǒng gè yàng的de“认知rènzhī偏差piānchā”。

We like to assume our judgments are objective and rational, yet psychological research shows the human brain comes equipped with all sorts of "cognitive biases."

所谓suǒwèi认知rènzhī偏差piānchā，是指shì zhǐ思维sīwéi在zài处理chǔlǐ信息xìnxī时shí出现chūxiàn的de系统性xìtǒngxìng偏离piānlí。

A cognitive bias is a systematic deviation that occurs when the mind processes information.

举jǔ个ge常见chángjiàn的de例子lìzi：买mǎi了le某个mǒu ge品牌pǐnpái的de车chē之后zhīhòu，你nǐ会huì突然tūrán发现fāxiàn满街mǎn jiē都dōu是shì同款tóngkuǎn车chē。

Here is a common example: after buying a car of a certain brand, you suddenly notice the same model everywhere on the street.

这zhè并不是bìng bú shì车chē变多biàn duō了le，而是érshì你nǐ的de注意力zhùyìlì被bèi“确认quèrèn偏差piānchā”牵引qiānyǐn，只zhǐ看见kànjiàn支持zhīchí自己zìjǐ选择xuǎnzé的de证据zhèngjù。

It is not that there are suddenly more of those cars; rather, your attention is being pulled by "confirmation bias," so you only see evidence that supports your own choice.

又如yòu rú，人们rénmen往往wǎngwǎng高估gāogū自己zìjǐ的de水平shuǐpíng，越是yuèshì无知wúzhī的de人rén，反而fǎn'ér越yuè自信zìxìn，这zhè被bèi称为chēngwéi“达克Dákè效应xiàoyìng”。

Another example: people tend to overestimate their own ability, and paradoxically, the more ignorant a person is, the more confident they tend to be — the so-called "Dunning-Kruger effect."

认知rènzhī偏差piānchā之所以zhīsuǒyǐ难以nányǐ克服kèfú，是因为shì yīnwèi它tā运行yùnxíng在zài意识yìshí之外zhīwài，我们wǒmen察觉chájué不到bú dào自己zìjǐ正zhèng被bèi它tā左右zuǒyòu。

The reason cognitive biases are so hard to overcome is that they operate outside our awareness; we cannot perceive that we are being swayed by them.

好消息hǎo xiāoxi是shì，偏差piānchā虽然suīrán无法wúfǎ彻底chèdǐ消除xiāochú，却què可以kěyǐ通过tōngguò训练xùnliàn来lái削弱xuēruò：多duō问wèn一句yí jù“我wǒ有没有yǒu méiyǒu可能kěnéng错cuò了le”，主动zhǔdòng寻找xúnzhǎo相反xiāngfǎn的de证据zhèngjù。

The good news is that although biases can never be fully eliminated, they can be weakened through practice: ask yourself one more question — "Could I be wrong?" — and actively look for evidence against your view.

承认chéngrèn自己zìjǐ会huì犯错fàncuò，并不bìngbù丢人diūrén；真正zhēnzhèng危险wēixiǎn的de，是shì对duì自身zìshēn的de盲点mángdiǎn一无所知yì wú suǒ zhī。

Admitting that you can be wrong is nothing to be ashamed of; what is truly dangerous is knowing nothing about your own blind spots.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

认知rènzhīcognition; cognitive

偏差piānchābias; deviation

系统性xìtǒngxìngsystematic

高估gāogūto overestimate

察觉chájuéto perceive; to become aware of

盲点mángdiǎnblind spot

Grammar note 语法点

所谓…，是指…

A formal defining pattern: 'what is called A refers to B'. Essays use it to introduce and then define a technical term. 例：所谓内卷，是指无意义的过度竞争。

所谓认知偏差，是指思维在处理信息时出现的系统性偏离。 — A cognitive bias is a systematic deviation that occurs when the mind processes information.

并不是…，而是…

An emphatic correction: 'it is by no means A; rather, it is B'. 并 strengthens the negation, often countering what the reader might assume.

这并不是车变多了，而是你的注意力被“确认偏差”牵引。 — It is not that there are more of those cars; rather, your attention is being pulled by confirmation bias.

越是…，(反而)越…

'The more A, the more B' — 越是 fronts the condition for emphasis, and 反而 adds a note of paradox when the result is the opposite of what one would expect.

越是无知的人，反而越自信。 — Paradoxically, the more ignorant a person is, the more confident they tend to be.

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the text, what really happens after you buy a car of a certain brand?

2. Why are cognitive biases so hard to overcome?

3. What does the text suggest for weakening one's biases?

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