Negativity Bias
Negativity Bias is a cognitive bias causing individuals to give more weight to negative experiences over neutral or positive ones1. It’s an asymmetry in processing negative and positive information.
Impact of Gene Variants
Our inherited genes predispose us to pay special attention to the negative aspects of our environment that may be harmful to us. This bias towards negativity is thought to be an adaptive evolutionary function.
Ways to Recognize Problems
Symptoms of Negativity Bias include a tendency to focus on negative news or events, weigh negative information more heavily than positive information, and be influenced by negative rather than positive emotions. It can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
Ways to Improve
Overcoming Negativity Bias involves self-awareness, mindfulness, and cognitive restructuring. Strategies include acknowledging your bias, shifting your attention, and challenging negative self-talk.
Did you know
Research has shown that across a wide array of psychological events, people tend to focus more on the negative as they try to make sense of the world. We tend to pay more attention to negative events than positive ones, learn more from negative outcomes and experiences, and make decisions based on negative information more than positive data.
