Bias Bingo

A good friend sent me this link to Bias Bingo, a You Tube video on cognitive biases.  The 10 minute video is both comedic and serious.  Interestingly, an address given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks is used as the example for how to play bias bingo at church.  It is certainly worth a watch, both for its comedic and educational value.

This leaves me wondering, how many people are actually able to assess the cognitive biases that are inherent in any given writing or address?  Maybe more importantly, how many people are actually able to assess these biases in their own thoughts, writing, or speaking?  My guess is that the percentage of people who are both able to do this and who take the time to do it is vanishingly small.

I was reflecting upon my post regarding Elder Holland's General Conference address.  While it is clear that his address contains many cognitive biases, propaganda techniques, and rhetorical devices, it is not clear that he actually understood that he was doing so.  I wonder if the General Conference speakers subject their talks for review for cognitive biases?  It seems to be pretty clear to me that their materials are reviewed, and perhaps approved before hand.  I suspect that the review and approval processes do not include a thorough review for cognitive biases.

I know that when I have given talks and written papers, I have not focused on reviewing my materials for cognitive biases.  I wonder whether or not I could actually review these types of materials, of my own making, objectively.  Even if I could, I am woefully unpracticed at efficiently identifying cognitive biases.  Maybe I should take the challenge proffered by this video.  Maybe I should make Bias Bingo part of my weekly church program to help me become more efficient at identifying these biases.  Perhaps that will help me to be able to better analyze my own thinking and writing and make improvements in both.