Quick presentation about cognitive biases, classic psychological researches and quite new papers that displays how those biases might be impacting software developers.
11. Limited Working Memory: The brain's working memory can hold about 7±2 items at a time.
Cognitive Load: The brain has a finite capacity for processing information.
Attention Span: Human attention is limited and can be easily diverted.
Cognitive Biases: The brain often relies on heuristics or mental shortcuts that can lead to cognitive biases.
Memory Distortion: Human memory is not a perfect recording of events. Memories can be distorted by subsequent
information, emotions, and the passage of time, leading to inaccurate recollections.
Sleep and Cognitive Function: Sleep is crucial for brain function, including memory consolidation, problem-solving,
and emotional regulation.
Emotional Regulation: The brain's prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-order thinking and emotional
regulation, is not fully developed until the mid-20s.
Stress and Cognition: Chronic stress can impair cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and decision-
making.
Sensory Processing Limits: The brain filters and interprets sensory information, but it can only process a fraction of
the sensory input it receives.
20. +200 Cognitive biases documented
4 Main Categories
Information: filtering information.
Meaning: connecting dots and filling in the gaps with what
we think we know.
Speed: making decisions based on new information.
Memory: we can’t remember everything so we have
to use it efficiently.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cognitive_bias_codex_en.svg
21. A Tale from the Trenches: Cognitive Biases and Software Development
https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings-article/icse/2020/712100a654/1pK5eMv5yUw