Cognitive Bias

Definition

Cognitive biases are predictable thinking errors — like anchoring on your first idea or confirmation bias toward a favoured candidate — that lead you away from the optimal guess.

Why it matters

Awareness of bias lets you catch and correct flawed reasoning, improving decisions both in the puzzle and in life.

Examples

• Fixating on a guessed word despite contrary clues (confirmation bias).
• Sticking with an early candidate (anchoring).

Best practices

• Re-derive your candidate list from scratch when stuck.
• Actively look for evidence against your favoured guess.

Frequently asked