Illusory Correlation: When Our Minds See Patterns That Aren’t There

Have you ever been subject to stereotyping or even have been judgmental towards someone? There could be a million reasons why you stereotyped or were stereotyped by someone in that scenario, but psychology suggests it could be an Illusory Correlation.

Illusory correlation is a cognitive bias where people perceive a relationship between two variables even when no such relationship exists. This mental shortcut often leads to false associations and can reinforce stereotypes, superstitions, and incorrect beliefs. Our brains naturally seek patterns, but sometimes they connect unrelated events, leading to errors in judgment and decision-making. So, how does this work?

Well, Illusory correlation happens because of selective attention and memory. Selective attention is simply a way of saying you can’t focus on everything. As humans, we receive 11 million bits of information per second from the environment and we process only 40-50 bits of those 11 million consciously. Those 40-50 bits are more likely the ones that confirm our pre-existing beliefs. This tendency is closely related to confirmation bias, where we focus on evidence that supports what we already believe while dismissing opposing information.

The term was coined by David Hamilton and Robert Gifford in 1976. Their experiment was quite weird (at least that’s what I thought when I first read it). Here’s how it goes. Participants in the study were given descriptions of two groups: Group A (a majority group) and Group B (a minority group). Both groups performed a mix of positive and negative behaviors, but the number of behaviors described was unequal: Group A had 26 total behaviors (18 positive, 8 negative) and Group B had 13 total behaviors (9 positive, 4 negative). Now if you notice carefully, you will notice the ratio positive behaviors: negative behaviors for both groups are exactly the same. However, what they found was that observers believed Group B as more negative. Why? Since the total number of behaviors was less, each negative behavior stood out more. They remember each one clearly compared to Group A’s negative behaviors. 

We are surrounded by illusions and biases; learning about them will help us avoid stereotyping, judging, and overall help us be a more considerate person. Bye for now.