More on Cognitive Bias - Ten Troublesome Human Instincts or Cognitive Misconceptions cont. 1

1. Gap instinct (tendency to prefer binary thinking or dichotomising, ie see data as bimodal or polarised, like 'us vs them', 'rich vs poor', 'good vs evil', 'developed vs developing countries', 'west vs rest', etc; these labels are popular as they are simple; there are no shades of grey;
"...Gap instinct makes us imagine division is where there is just a smooth range, difference where there is convergence, and conflict where there is agreement..."
Hans Rosling et al, 2018

There are 3 ways to control the gap instinct

    i) comparison of averages (it is a simplification of information that can be misleading, ie
"...averages mislead by hiding a spread (a range of different numbers) from a single number. When we compare two averages, we risk misleading ourselves even more by focusing on the gap between two single numbers, and missing the overlapping spreads, the overlapping range of numbers, that make up each average...We see gaps that are not really there..."
Hans Rosling et al, 2018

We need to see the spread of the data, rather than just the averages.

    ii) comparison of extremes (stories of opposites are engaging and provocative but do not really help to understand the situation as the majority are in the middle and that tells a different story; need statistics that will help us navigate reality)

    iii) view from up here (the way you look at others
"...You need to show the data and  describe the reality behind it..."
Hans Rosling et al, 2018)