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Negativity Bias
What Is Negativity Bias?
In Critical Thinking, Negativity Bias is rating negatives more than positives.
Easy Definition of Negativity Bias
Don't think bad things are disastrous. If you don't keep them in perspective, you're showing Negativity Bias.
Academic Definition of Negativity Bias
Negativity Bias is giving more weight to negative experiences or information than to positive ones.
An Example of Negativity Bias
Good plus bad equals bad

So, using the same example, you would feel bad and not neutral even if the events were reversed; i.e., someone gave you an ice-cream and you lost your underground ticket.
Interestingly, studies show that Negativity Bias reduces as people get older. The reasons for this are unknown, but I suspect it's linked to these ideas:
"Worrying works! 90% of the things I worry about never happen."
"If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about a year ago."
Put simply, people realise over time that they've been giving too much emphasis to negative events. Also, being more self-aware, older people tend to accept criticism more readily.
"If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about a year ago."
A Practical Application of Negativity Bias
Curb those negative comments

This idea is linked to Negativity Bias. If you throw in one overtly negative point about your target, it is likely to have far more impact than you intended, and his defences might firm up. It is often said that negative comments are seven times more powerful than positive ones. Whether that's accurate or not, it does offer a warning to be careful about how often you make negative comments and how you word them.
In summary, be mindful of the extra "hidden" power that negative comments wield.
Summary of Negativity Bias
If you think someone has been overly influenced by something simply because it was negative, tell them they are suffering from Negativity Bias.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
- Do you know a bias or fallacy that we've missed?