Understanding how humans think, decide, and act
These mental models explore the psychological principles and cognitive biases that shape human behavior. Understanding these frameworks helps you make better decisions, communicate more effectively, design systems that account for human limitations, and recognize when emotions or biases are influencing your judgment.
10 mental models covering key psychological principles and cognitive biases.
Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, where inferences are drawn in an illogical fashion.
The system of rewards, punishments, and contextual factors that motivate and shape human behavior in predictable ways.
The psychological tendency to feel the pain of losses more intensely than the pleasure derived from equivalent gains.
The psychological tendency to align future behaviors with past commitments, and to maintain consistency between what we say, believe, and do.
The psychological tendency to look to others' behavior and choices as a guide for one's own decisions, especially in uncertain situations.
The psychological tendency to assign higher value to things that are rare or limited, and to feel increased urgency when availability decreases.
The psychological tendency to defer to and comply with the judgments and directives of perceived authority figures.
The mental shortcut of judging probability and frequency based on how easily examples come to mind, rather than on actual statistical likelihood.
The tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions, even when that information is irrelevant.
The strong preference for keeping things as they are, with any change perceived as a loss, leading to resistance against altering current conditions.
Identify which biases might be distorting your judgment before committing to significant choices.
Predict how others will react to information, incentives, and social situations.
Create choice architectures, policies, and communications that account for human psychology.
Anticipate how cognitive biases will affect your counterparty's positions and responses.
Frameworks for structured thinking, logical analysis, and better decision-making.
Tools for competitive analysis, strategic planning, and game theory.
Understanding feedback loops, emergence, and complex adaptive systems.