Cognitive Biases Shape Characters & Stories

C. L. Nichols
Jan 14
6 min read

Mental shortcuts our brains use to process information.

As writers, we’re always looking for ways to make our characters believable. Cognitive biases add depth to our characters and create unexpected twists in our narratives.

Cognitive biases are shortcuts our brains use to process information quickly. They’re glitches in our thinking that lead us to make irrational decisions or draw incorrect conclusions. We all have them. They influence how we perceive the world.

They offer a way to create realistic characters and plots that feel true to life. Real people don’t always see situations clearly. Our characters shouldn’t either.

Cognitive biases shape our characters. The last time you created a character, did you consider how their thinking might be skewed by biases?

Confirmation bias is our tendency to seek out information that confirms what we believe and ignore evidence that contradicts it. A character with strong confirmation bias might stubbornly cling to their beliefs, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. This can create conflict and drive the plot forward.

A detective is convinced a suspect is guilty. Despite new evidence pointing to someone else, the detective focuses on the original suspect. This bias could lead them down the wrong path, creating complications.

Another bias is the fundamental attribution error. This is our tendency to attribute others’ actions to their personality, while excusing our own behavior. A character prone to this bias is quick to judge others harshly while making excuses for their own mistakes. This leads to misunderstandings with other characters.

A boss blames employees for mistakes without consideration that lack of resources is the culprit. This creates workplace conflicts.

The availability heuristic bias can add flavor to your characters. This is our tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events. A character after a car accident becomes overly cautious, though statistically they’re not more likely to have another accident.

Cognitive biases shape your characters’ personalities, decisions, and actions. Incorporate these biases to create realistic characters.

Cognitive biases don’t just affect character development. They play a role in plot construction.

The gambler’s fallacy is the mistaken belief that if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future. This could lead a character to make poor decisions based on flawed logic.

A poker player has had a string of bad hands. They convince themselves they’re “due” for a good hand and bet big. This decision, driven by the gambler’s fallacy, leads to consequences.

The sunk cost fallacy is our tendency to continue investing in something because we’ve already put so much into it, even when it’s no longer rational. This can lead characters to persist in doomed relationships, failing businesses, or misguided quests.

A character spends years working on an invention that’s clearly not going to work. Instead of cutting their losses, they keep pouring time and money into the project, ruining their finances or relationships. This decision could be the catalyst for major plot developments.

The optimism bias is our tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive events and underestimate negative ones. Characters with this bias take risks and fail to prepare for problems.

A group of friends planning a camping trip might underestimate the dangers of the wilderness, leading to a survival situation. Their optimism bias explains why they didn’t pack enough supplies or take precautions.

Use cognitive biases in your writing to create conflict between characters. When characters have different biases, or when one character’s bias clashes with reality, it leads to drama.

The false consensus effect is our tendency to overestimate how other people agree with us. A character might be shocked when others don’t share their views, leading to arguments.

Two friends plan a vacation. One assumes the other will want to go camping because that’s what they enjoy. The other prefers luxury resorts and is taken aback by this assumption. This misunderstanding sparks a conflict.

The anchoring bias is our tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information we receive when making decisions. This leads to characters making poor judgments based on initial impressions.

In a courtroom drama, a jury member fixates on the first piece of evidence presented, ignoring later information. This creates tension as other characters try to ensure justice is served.

Use cognitive biases as a tool for character growth. As characters become aware of their biases, they experience personal development.

The overconfidence effect is our tendency to overestimate our own abilities. A character who starts overly confident might face failures that force them to confront this bias. As they assess their skills, they grow.

A young athlete believes they’re destined for greatness. When they face setbacks, they’re forced to confront their overconfidence. Their development of a realistic self-assessment is an arc of personal growth.

The in-group favoritism bias is our tendency to favor members of our own group over others. A character who starts with prejudices learns to overcome this as they interact with people from different backgrounds.

A character from a small town moves to a city. As they form relationships with people different from themselves, they must overcome their in-group favoritism, becoming more open-minded.

As writers, we’re not just observers of cognitive biases. We’re architects who use these psychological quirks to craft characters and stories.

The spotlight effect is our tendency to overestimate how much others notice our appearance or behavior. This bias can be a goldmine for creating relatable characters with internal struggles.

A teenage protagonist who’s self-conscious about a small scar on their cheek might believe everyone is staring at it. This affects their social interactions. In reality, people barely notice it. This internal conflict drives the character’s arc as they overcome their insecurity.

Write scenes where the character avoids obsessively checks their reflection. As the story progresses, they realize that others are too caught up in their own lives to fixate on a minor flaw.

The backfire effect occurs when people strengthen their existing beliefs when presented with contradictory evidence. This bias can be used to create stubborn characters or to explain why characters might double down on mistaken beliefs.

A detective in a mystery novel is convinced of a suspect’s guilt. Evidence points to someone else. Instead of reconsidering, they interpret this new information in a way that confirms their original suspicion. This leads to plot twists where the detective’s bias causes overlooking important clues.

As the story unfolds, show the consequences of this bias. The real culprit goes free while an innocent person is accused. The detective’s overcoming their bias forms a subplot, adding depth to the character and the narrative.

The decoy effect is a phenomenon where people tend to have a change in preference between two options when presented with a third option. This bias creates decision-making scenarios for your characters.

A character faces a major life decision, to pursue a stable career or follow their passion. Introduce a third option that’s clearly inferior to pursuing their passion but comparable to the stable career. This “decoy” option makes the character more likely to choose their passion, even if previously leaning towards stability.

You can use this to create tension. Perhaps other characters don’t understand why the protagonist made this choice, leading to interpersonal drama. Maybe the character struggles to explain their decision, adding to internal conflict.

The Dunning-Kruger effect, where people with limited expertise overestimate their abilities can be a tool for character development.

An overconfident wizard in a fantasy setting starts by believing they’re more skilled than they actually are. This overconfidence leads them into dangerous situations.

As the story progresses, use challenging experiences to chip away at this overconfidence. The character faces increasingly magical challenges that force them to confront their limitations. This realization leads to a crisis of identity.

The character’s journey from overconfidence to humility, and then to genuine competence, forms a satisfying arc. It provides growth in relationships, as the protagonist learns to value others’ expertise.

The framing effect is where people make decisions based on whether the options are presented as losses or gains. Use this to influence how readers perceive events.

In a political thriller, present the same event from different perspectives. A policy change might be framed as a “reduction in bureaucratic overhead” by one character and a “cut to essential services” by another. Show how different characters frame the same event to highlight conflicts.

This technique is powerful in first person or close third person perspectives. The way your viewpoint character frames events gives insight into their values, fears, and biases.

By incorporating these cognitive biases into your writing, you’re holding up a mirror to human nature. This makes your stories thought-provoking, encouraging readers to reflect on their own biases.