Denominator neglect, also called denominator neglect bias or the ratio bias, is a cognitive bias in which a person focuses on the numerator of a ratio while neglecting its denominator, producing systematic errors in decision-making and probability judgment. It is especially common when people are asked to assess risks, probabilities or benefits that are framed as proportions.
Facts
Core ClaimPeople give disproportionate weight to the number of outcomes of interest (the numerator) while failing to adequately consider the total number of possible outcomes (the denominator). 1 Classification
Type of Phenomenon Connections
In Branch
Source Denominator neglect (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Denominator neglect (Wikipedia)
Overview
Denominator neglect occurs when individuals give disproportionate weight to the number of outcomes of interest (the numerator) while failing to adequately consider the total number of possible outcomes (the denominator).
Lead section
Denominator neglect, also known as denominator neglect bias or the ratio bias, is a cognitive bias in which individuals focus on the numerator of a ratio while neglecting the denominator. This leads to systematic errors in decision-making and probability judgments.
In Group: Probability Judgment Fallacies, Lead
Denominator neglect, also known as denominator neglect bias or the ratio bias, is a cognitive bias in which individuals focus on the numerator of a ratio while neglecting the denominator.
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