Proportionality bias, also called the major event or major cause heuristic, is the tendency to assume that a big event must have had a big cause. It is a cognitive bias that plays a role in why people find conspiracy theories appealing, since a large or shocking event can feel as though it needs an equally large explanation.
Facts
Core ClaimSourced to the subject's own accountThe tendency to assume that a big event must have had a big cause, which makes disproportionate explanations such as conspiracy theories feel more satisfying than mundane ones. 1 Classification
Type of PhenomenonSourced to the subject's own account Connections
In Branch
Source Proportionality Bias (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Proportionality Bias (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, first sentence.
The proportionality bias, also known as major event/major cause heuristic, is the tendency to assume that big events have big causes.
Lead section
The proportionality bias, also known as major event/major cause heuristic, is the tendency to assume that big events have big causes.
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