We tend to overemphasize information that is the most available and vivid from our surroundings and our mind. In the academic world, this is known as the Availability Bias. Unfortunately, The easiness doesn’t mean that the information is the most useful one.
This can work to people’s benefit in the world of persuasion and memory. By painting a vivid picture of something, we can more effectively influence others and keep ideas in our own memories.
When in group environments, simple explanations of complex phenomena can rapidly gain currency and spread even if they’re wrong. This is known as the availability cascade.
Source:
Michael Simmons & Ian Chew
