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What is the Ambiguity Effect?

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The ambiguity effect is a tendency to avoid choices that involve uncertainty. It can be described as a rule-of-thumb that simply discards possibilities that involve unknown information.
Overview: Ambiguity Effect
Type
Example
A customer is considering purchasing three different cars but she eliminates one from the list because she can't find information about the car's warranty on the manufacturer's website.
Impact
Assigning an unrealistic level of risk to uncertainty can lead to poor quality decisions.
Avoiding uncertainty may be the hallmark of weak strategies that rely on the known, comfortable and the familiar.
Avoidance of unknown factors can interfere with problem solving.

Cognitive Biases

This is the complete list of articles we have written about cognitive biases.
Ambiguity Effect
Anchoring
Backfire Effect
Base Rate
Biased
Biases
Circular Reasoning
Cognitive Bias
Cognitive Dissonance
Complexity Bias
Crab Mentality
Creeping Normality
Curse Of Knowledge
Decoy Effect
Ethnocentrism
Exposure Effect
False Analogy
False Hope
Fear Of Youth
Gambler's Fallacy
Golden Hammer
Halo Effect
Hindsight Bias
Negativity Bias
Optimism Bias
Peak-End Rule
Positive Bias
Sour Grapes
Survivorship Bias
Us vs Them
Victim Mentality
Wishful Thinking
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Cognitive Biases

A list of common cognitive biases explained.

Curse Of Knowledge

Why experts have trouble communicating.

Optimism Bias

An overview of optimism bias, including its surprising benefits.

Decoy Effect

A cognitive bias that is well known in marketing circles.

Biases vs Heuristics

The difference between biases and heuristics.

Information Cascade

A definition of information cascade with examples.

Functional Fixedness

A definition of functional fixedness with examples.

Boil The Frog

A definition of boil the frog, with examples.

Anecdotal Evidence

The definition of anecdotal evidence with examples.

Scientism

The definition of scientism with examples.

Thought Processes

A list of thinking approaches and types.

Logic

A few logic terms explained.

Abstract Ideas

A few dangers of being too abstract.

Objective vs Subjective

The difference between objective and subjective.

Intellectual Diversity

A definition of intellectual diversity with examples.

Creative Value

The definition of creative value with examples.

Benefit Of Doubt

The definition of benefit of doubt with examples.

Pessimism

The definition of pessimism with examples.
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