The “swimmer’s body illusion” occurs when we confuse selection factors with results. People think they can get a swimmer’s body just by training hard. However, professional swimmers don’t have their kind of body because they train hard; rather, they are good swimmers because they have that kind of body. How their bodies are designed is a factor for selection and not the result of their activities.
Advertisement campaigns use this trick to lure us into buying their brands. First, a model who is already attractive and fair is the chosen. Then, she is darkened and made unattractive with makeup. For the sole purpose of the campaign, she is shown using the magic cream marketed by the brand and viola! the model is now fair AND lovely. Without this illusion, half of advertising campaigns would not work
Another good example is top-performing universities: Are they actually the best schools, or do they choose the best students, who do well regardless of the school’s influence? Harvard has the reputation of being a top university. Many highly successful people have studied there. Does this mean that Harvard is a good school? We don’t know. Perhaps the school is terrible, and it simply recruits the brightest students around.
Summing-up: Be wary when you are encouraged to strive for certain things. You might fall prey to the swimmer’s body illusion. Before you decide to take the plunge, look in the mirror —and be honest about what you see. Don’t confuse selection factors with results.
Pingback: Four Mental Biases You Have That May Hurt Your Career Or Business | The Manila Survival Guide
dollar, so countries worldwide, and American investors and consumers, continue to have confidence
in it. Although the advertisements may exaggerate the
values and safety somewhat, they may be fundamentally legit:
you may receive handsome compensation to your old
gold jewelry. First of all, buyers must have an awareness of
spot gold prices and just how they work.
Pingback: วิทย์ม.ต้น: Cognitive Biases สามà¸à¸±à¸™, Why People Believe Weird Things, เล่นปั่นไฟ | วิทย์พ
Pingback: Tradução: Lista simplificada de vieses cognitivos - Siga o Pensamento CrÃtico
Pingback: Survivorship Bias – Il magazzino delle citazioni
Pingback: Yksinkertaista mahdollisuuksia – Bias
Pingback: Cognitive bias cheat sheet – because thinking is hard. – Mr O’Hara’s Psychology Page
Hi, the whole thing is going sound here and ofcourse every one is sharing information, that’s
genuinely good, keep up writing.
Amazing blog!Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go
for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m
completely confused .. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Pingback: Kognitive Verzerrungen - Genatio
Pingback: An organized list of cognitive biases because thinking is hard. - Em's World