It is available therefore it is true
A story of curfews, biases and masks
Recently, a colleague of mine got stuck in the office after the new COVID-19 curfew hours. She texted us saying that he would spend the night on the spot as it was too risky to go out. I instantly believed her story. Even when she sent a mocking meme and said that she was already at home. It took me a while to realize that she has pranked us !
I was taken aback. The prank was so obvious ! We were at the first curfew day and I was reading news report about the curfew being reconsidered. Yet, I did not doubt her story for a second. How did I lose my critical thinking and fell for an obvious prank ?
I believe the reason is that for me, it was a plausible story. It was a story I could easily believe because if I were her, I would have actually spent the night at the office. I am a risk averse person and I have recently had a bad experience going out after curfew hours. Besides, I have already spent a night a the office, several years ago, during an IT crisis. In short, I believed the story because it was available. It was available through my direct experiences and memories.
We often say we see the world through our own lenses. It is better to specify that we see it through our available lenses. What comes readily to mind could easily influence how we see the reality. Our latest thoughts, emotions and experiences shape our mental representations of the world. This phenomenon is known as the availability bias.
What comes readily to mind could easily influence how we see the reality. Our latest thoughts, emotions and experiences shape our mental representations of the world.
The availability bias could also explain our reactions toward the COVID-19 sanitary measures. Despite the staggering number of contaminations and deaths around the world, some people still refuse to wear masks. They simple lack available experiences. News reports, statistics and photos of crowded intensive care units are nothing compared to the effect of a friend or parent getting seriously ill after being contaminated. Worse, a benign contamination could give a false sense of security. Reinforcing the idea that, eventually, the virus effects are overestimated.
Taking into account the availability bias could help improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention and awareness campaigns. Spouting raw statistics and figures hardly affect people’s behavior. Instead, focus should be put on local, recent and direct experiences. Encouraging former patients to share their experiences with the disease with friends an family members could help create a stream of available information. The same mental mechanisms that led me to fall into my colleague prank could be used to save lives. If only this information were available to decision makers.
