Additive bias

Additive bias is the tendency that prompts solving problems from a wrong or non expected way.

It is a cognitive urge/ tendency of human beings facing problem that they add resources instead of taking or subtracting. According to Keith Holyoak, "Humans seeks to strengthen an argument or a manager seeks to encourage desired behaviour, thus requires a mental search for possible changes.^[1]

Leidy Klotz conducted a series of laboratory experiments, demonstrating how, when faced with a problem, subjects were more likely to add elements rather than subtract, even where subtraction would have led to a better solution.^[2]

See also

• Psychology portal

• List of cognitive biases