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Attribute Substitution


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Attribute Substitution

Attribute Substitution is a cognitive bias that happens when people make a decision without thinking carefully. It happens when a person has difficulty understanding a complicated problem and instead of thinking through the problem, they rely on a simpler idea that is related. For example, when deciding which car to buy, a person might choose the car with the most attractive color instead of considering other important factors such as price, reliability and safety. This is a cognitive bias because the person is substituting an attribute (the color) for more important attributes (price, reliability and safety).

Attribute Substitution, Cognitive Bias, Logical Fallacy, Decision Making.

Thomas Lee

213758
Attribute Substitution

Attribute substitution is a cognitive bias that occurs when a person is unable to make a direct assessment of a situation and instead relies on an easier-to-identify surrogate attribute. This surrogate attribute is used as a substitute for the more complex original attribute, and it is often a less accurate representation of the original attribute. This type of cognitive bias can lead to logical fallacies and poor decision-making, as the decision-maker is not basing decisions on accurate information. In some cases, attribute substitution can lead to an incorrect assumption of causality between two unrelated variables.

Attributes, cognitive bias, logical fallacies, decision-making, assumptions, causality.

Jessica Adams

CITATION : "Jessica Adams. 'Attribute Substitution.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=213758 (Accessed on March 27, 2023)"


Attribute Substitution Definition
Attribute Substitution on Design+Encyclopedia

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