Understanding Biases & How They Impact Youth Work

One crucial aspect of providing effective support is understanding human biases—systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment. These biases can significantly influence decision-making, problem-solving, and relationships. By being aware of these biases, we can enhance the quality of our mental health support. Below are just a few of the biases that come into play on a daily basis. This is by no means an exhaustive list of biases that exist; just a snapshot of a presentation we gave at one of our Wairua Wednesday in the TKI office.

Key Biases in Human Behavior

1. Confirmation Bias

This bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions. In our work, it’s important to remain open to all aspects of a rangatahi's experience, rather than focusing solely on information that supports our initial impressions.

2. Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort felt when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes. For example, if a young person believes that seeking help is a sign of weakness but also feels the need for support, they might experience cognitive dissonance. Understanding this can help us provide better guidance and reassurance.

3. Anchoring Bias

This bias involves relying heavily on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions. When supporting youth, it’s vital to consider the whole picture rather than getting fixated on initial observations.

4. Availability Heuristic

This heuristic leads people to estimate the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory, often influenced by recent or vivid examples. For instance, recent high-profile cases of bullying might lead us to overestimate its prevalence among the rangatahi we support.

5. Overconfidence Bias

Overconfidence bias is the tendency to overestimate one's abilities or the accuracy of one’s beliefs. In our efforts, we must stay humble and continuously seek feedback to ensure we are meeting the needs of the youth effectively.

6. Hindsight Bias

Hindsight bias is the inclination to see events as having been predictable after they have already occurred. Recognizing this bias can help us remain empathetic and avoid being judgmental when supporting young people through their struggles.

7. Loss Aversion

This is the preference for avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains. It can lead to risk aversion, making it challenging to try new approaches in our support strategies. However, being open to change can lead to better outcomes for the youth we serve.

8. Status Quo Bias

The preference for the current state of affairs can make us reluctant to adopt new methods, even when evidence suggests they could be more effective. Embracing innovation is crucial in providing the best support.

9. Bandwagon Effect

This is the tendency to do or believe things because many others do. It’s important to critically evaluate popular trends in mental health support to ensure they truly benefit the rangatahi we work with.

10. Sunk Cost Fallacy

This bias leads to continuing an endeavor once an investment has been made, even when it is unlikely to succeed. We must be willing to change course if a particular approach isn’t working for a rangatahi.

11. Self-serving Bias

Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors. By recognizing this, we can more accurately assess our impact and continuously improve our support strategies.

12. Negativity Bias

This phenomenon involves a greater recall of unpleasant memories compared to positive ones. Keeping a balanced perspective helps us stay optimistic and provide encouragement to the rangatahi.

13. Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize personality-based explanations for others' behavior while underestimating situational factors can affect our understanding of young people's actions. Empathy and situational awareness are key in our support.

14. Recency Bias

This bias involves giving more importance to recent events and information. It’s important to consider the full history of a young person’s experiences rather than focusing solely on the most recent events.

15. Implicit Bias

Unconscious attitudes or stereotypes can affect understanding, actions, and decisions. We strive to identify and mitigate our implicit biases to provide equitable care to all young people.

16. Social Desirability Bias

The tendency to respond in a way that is perceived favorably by others can influence interactions. Creating a safe and non-judgmental environment encourages rangatahi to express their true feelings.

17. Dunning-Kruger Effect

This effect describes how individuals with low ability at a task overestimate their ability, while those with high ability underestimate their own. Continuous learning and feedback help us maintain an accurate self-assessment of our skills.

Tying Biases into the ABC Model

Understanding these biases not only helps us provide better mental health support but also ties directly into the ABC model of Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence. This model is a framework for understanding and influencing behaviour, particularly useful when working with rangatahi.

Antecedent

This refers to what happens before a behaviour. Biases can influence how antecedents are perceived and interpreted. For instance, confirmation bias might lead a rangatahi to interpret neutral events as negative if they already feel pessimistic, setting the stage for certain behaviours.

Behavior

The actual action or behavior that occurs. Biases such as the Bandwagon Effect or Social Desirability Bias can heavily influence behavior, especially in social contexts. Understanding these biases helps us recognize why certain behaviors might be adopted, such as conforming to peer pressure or acting in ways that are deemed socially acceptable.

Consequence

What happens after the behavior, which can reinforce or discourage the behavior. Biases like the Sunk Cost Fallacy or Loss Aversion can explain why young people might persist in behaviors that are not beneficial, simply because they have invested time or effort in them. Recognizing this can help us develop strategies to guide rangatahi toward more positive outcomes.

The Role of Bias Awareness in Youth Mental Health Support

Understanding and mitigating these biases can significantly improve the quality of our mental health support. Biases can affect our understanding, interventions, and relationships with the youth. By being aware of these biases, we can:

- Make more informed and balanced decisions.

- Enhance our reflective practice and continuous learning.

- Foster more empathetic and understanding relationships.

- Provide more accurate and personalized support to rangatahi.

Incorporating bias awareness into our work is a continuous journey, but it is a crucial step towards providing better mental health support for youth. Recognising and addressing biases helps us to better understand and meet the needs of the rangatahi we serve.

Bonus Viewing: Dunning Kruger Effect Explained

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