What is familiarity bias? Definition & example

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Have you ever noticed yourself gravitating towards the same brand of coffee or choosing to watch movies from a favorite genre repeatedly? These are subtle examples of familiarity bias at work, a common cognitive bias that influences our decisions and preferences. But what is familiarity bias, and how does it shape our everyday choices?

In this blog, we’ll delve into the familiarity bias definition, explore its impact on our choices, and discuss strategies to recognize and overcome this common cognitive pitfall with a few familiarity bias examples. 

Whether you’re making important decisions or simply navigating everyday life, understanding familiarity bias can help you make more informed and balanced choices.

Familiarity bias definition

Familiarity bias is a psychological situation where people prefer things they are familiar with over those that are new or unknown to them. This bias arises from the comfort and safety associated with known entities, whether they are products, people, places, or ideas. The brain often associates familiarity with reliability and trustworthiness, leading individuals to repeatedly choose familiar options, even when there may be better or more suitable alternatives available.

This bias can manifest in various ways. For instance, someone might consistently buy the same brand of cereal because they recognize it, despite there being other brands that offer better quality or value. Similarly, another familiarity bias example in social situations is people gravitating towards familiar faces and avoiding interactions with strangers, even if those new interactions could lead to valuable relationships or opportunities.

Familiarity bias can be beneficial by helping us make quick decisions based on past experiences. However, it can also limit our growth and experiences by keeping us confined to what we already know, potentially leading to missed opportunities and a lack of innovation. Recognizing and understanding familiarity bias is crucial for making more balanced and informed choices in various aspects of life.

Examples of familiarity bias

Understand the concept of familiarity with these familiarity bias examples in action:

1. Media consumption: Individuals often stick to the same news outlets, websites, or TV channels because they are familiar, potentially missing out on diverse perspectives or information. This can reinforce existing beliefs and limit exposure to new ideas.
2. Restaurant preferences: A person may always eat at the same restaurants or order the same dishes, avoiding trying new cuisines or restaurants. This familiarity can limit their culinary experiences and exposure to different flavors and cultures.
3. Investment decisions: Investors may prefer investing in familiar stocks or companies rather than exploring new investment opportunities, even if they offer better returns. This bias can lead to a less diversified and potentially less profitable investment portfolio.
4. Shopping habits: Consumers might consistently shop at the same stores or online retailers, overlooking other stores that could offer better deals or unique products. This habit can limit their choices and potential savings.

Familiarity bias in UX design

In UX design, familiarity bias can influence how users interact with websites, apps, or products. This bias makes users prefer designs, layouts, or features that they have seen and used before, as they feel comfortable and intuitive.

Let’s better understand this with the familiarity bias example in design, many people are used to finding the navigation menu at the top of a webpage or seeing a shopping cart icon on the top right corner of an online store. These familiar elements help users quickly understand how to use the site because they’ve encountered similar designs elsewhere.

While leveraging familiarity can enhance user experience by making a design more intuitive, it can also limit innovation. Designers might stick to tried-and-true elements and layouts, missing opportunities to create unique and potentially more effective solutions. Additionally, relying too heavily on familiar designs can lead to a lack of differentiation, making one product look too similar to many others.

To balance familiarity with creativity, UX designers often aim to include familiar elements that make navigation easy while also introducing new features or layouts that improve functionality and user engagement. This approach helps users feel comfortable while offering a fresh and valuable experience.

You want to read on- “Why familiarity matters in UX design?”

Challenges due to familiarity bias

Familiarity bias can present several challenges, particularly in decision-making and personal or professional growth:

1. Limited decision-making

Familiarity bias can lead people to make decisions based solely on what they already know and are comfortable with. This limits their choices and prevents them from considering a wider range of options. 

For example, someone might always choose the same smartphone brand because they’re familiar with it, missing out on potentially better or more suitable alternatives.

2. Overlooking better alternatives

When we favor familiar options, we might overlook other, potentially better choices. This can happen in various situations, such as choosing a service provider, selecting a job opportunity, or even picking a restaurant. 

The comfort of the known can blind us to the benefits of exploring new possibilities, leading to suboptimal decisions.

3. Reduced creativity

In creative fields, familiarity bias can limit innovation. If designers, artists, or developers consistently stick to familiar concepts and techniques, they may miss out on creating fresh, original work. 

This can result in repetitive and uninspired outcomes that fail to stand out or resonate with audiences.

4. Missed growth opportunities

By sticking to the familiar, individuals and organizations can miss opportunities for growth and improvement. 

Whether it’s not adopting new technologies, avoiding unfamiliar markets, or shying away from challenging projects, the fear of the unknown can prevent progress. Embracing new experiences and ideas is often essential for development and success.

5. Narrow perspective

Familiarity bias can narrow our perspective, limiting our understanding of the world around us. By only engaging with familiar people, cultures, or ideas, we might develop a limited worldview and miss out on the richness of diverse experiences. 

This narrow perspective can lead to stereotypes, a lack of empathy, and resistance to change.

Overcoming familiarity bias

Overcoming familiarity bias involves consciously expanding your horizons and being open to new experiences. Here are some strategies to help you do that:

1. Challenge your comfort zone

Try to come out of your comfort zone by trying new things, whether it’s visiting a new place, trying a different cuisine, or learning a new skill. Pushing yourself to experience the unfamiliar can help reduce the tendency to stick to what’s known and comfortable. 

This not only broadens your experiences but also helps you grow and adapt to new situations more easily.

2. Diversify information sources

Involve yourself in different information sources. This can mean reading books, articles, or news from different viewpoints or engaging with media from different cultures. 

Consuming diversified information helps you broaden your perspective and reduce the chances of being influenced by the same familiar narratives.

3. Seek feedback

Ask for feedback from people with different backgrounds, experiences, or perspectives. Whether in a professional setting or in a personal life, hearing from others can help you see things you might have missed and challenge your preconceived notions. 

This feedback can be invaluable in making more balanced and informed decisions.

4. Practice open-mindedness

Cultivate an open-minded attitude by considering new ideas and perspectives, even if they initially seem unfamiliar or uncomfortable. 

This involves actively listening to others, being curious, and questioning your own beliefs and assumptions. Open-mindedness can lead to a richer understanding of the world and more creative solutions to problems.

5. Question assumptions

Regularly question your assumptions and why you might prefer familiar options. Ask yourself if you’re choosing something because it’s genuinely the best option or simply because it’s familiar. 

By critically examining your choices and their reasons, you can identify and challenge the influence of familiarity bias in your decision-making.

Is familiarity bias a cognitive bias?

Yes, familiarity bias is a type of cognitive bias. It refers to the tendency of people to favor or prefer things that they are already familiar with, even if those things are not objectively better. This bias can influence various decisions and judgments, leading individuals to choose familiar options over unfamiliar ones, even when the unfamiliar options might be more advantageous.

For example, a person might prefer to buy a brand they have heard of before, even if a lesser-known brand offers a better deal or higher quality. This bias can affect decision-making in many areas, such as consumer choices, hiring decisions, and even interpersonal relationships.

Familiarity bias is rooted in the cognitive ease associated with known stimuli. Because familiar things require less mental effort to process, people often feel more comfortable and confident with them. This results in a preference for the familiar, sometimes at the expense of potentially better alternatives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, familiarity bias is a cognitive shortcut that leads us to favor what we already know over unfamiliar options, as it feels safer and more comfortable. This tendency can impact various decisions, from the brands we choose to our professional choices, potentially limiting our opportunities by overlooking better alternatives. 

At Octet, we understand the nuances of cognitive biases and can help you design user experiences that mitigate these biases. By conducting thorough research, putting the familiarity bias definition into action, and employing strategies that challenge default preferences, we ensure your products and services are evaluated on their true merits. 

Let us assist you in creating user-centric solutions that drive better, more informed choices, overcoming the limitations of familiarity bias.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is familiarity vs availability bias?

Familiarity Bias: This is when you prefer or favor things that are familiar to you simply because you know them well. For example, you might choose a brand you’ve used before over a new one, even if the new brand could be better.

Availability Bias: This is when you base your decisions on information that is easily available or recent in your memory. For example, if you hear about a few car accidents recently, you might overestimate the risk of driving, even though statistically, it’s not higher.

2. What is the cause of familiarity bias?

Familiarity bias is caused by the brain’s preference for things that require less cognitive effort. Familiar options feel safer and more comfortable because they are easier to process and less risky compared to unfamiliar ones.

3. How do you avoid familiarity bias?

To avoid familiarity bias, actively seek out and evaluate unfamiliar options. Make decisions based on thorough research and evidence rather than comfort. Challenge your default preferences by comparing alternatives objectively and considering the potential benefits of new or lesser-known options.

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