Dec 12, 2016 11:49 AM EST By Chris Brandt, UniversityHerald Reporter

The human brain is a very powerful system that governs a complex system of thoughts, actions, and behaviors. In fact, it is so powerful that it can process 100,000 chemical reactions every second and 50,000 thoughts every day. However, there are certain experiences and circumstances that deeply impress the brain causing cognitive biases.

Wikipedia has a list of these cognitive biases; however, these are five cognitive biases that you should guard yourself against.

The Ostrich Effect

It got its name from the ostrich which buries its head in the sand when it senses a danger. You might not literally bury your head in the sand but procrastinating or delaying facing the problem is the same as that. Putting off solving the problem does not make it go away but rather, it strengthens the negative effect when it's not solved immediately.

Confirmation Bias

Facts should always be the basis of our opinions. However, this seldom happens in people who have confirmation bias. They instead make an opinion first and then seek out "truths" or "facts" that will support their opinion. This is very dangerous because any opinion not based on existing facts are bound to fail.

Affect Heuristic

Dr. Travis Bradberry said via his Huffington Post article that this cognitive bias lets you base your decisions on your feelings. For example, there was a great scare about the ebola virus because it attracted a great deal of media coverage. However, there are many people who have died from mosquitoes than the ebola virus yet it did not cause such pandemonium as the ebola did.

The Ideometer Effect

This cognitive bias is the classic example that the mind is very powerful. Often used by actors where they think a certain scenario to elicit a certain emotion needed for a particular scene, this is when the mind affects the physical. For example, an actor will think of a very sad event to make him cry or sad. In the same way, meditating on negative thoughts long enough can manifest on the physical as well.

The Bandwagon Effect

When you 'jump into the bandwagon,' you are following what is popular at the moment whether it has a basis or not. This is dangerous because you blindly follow what others are doing instead of exploring other options or alternatives. Remember, the majority is not always right.

Fundamental Attribution Error

This cognitive bias makes you judge a person's behavior based on their fixed personality. For example, a person might perform poorly and you will attribute it to laziness. However, the poor performance can be a result of sickness, problem, or any factor other than laziness.

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