Chris Davies: If fish can't see water, what can't we see?

Trying to be noise free

clock • 2 min read

With Daniel Kahneman's co-authored latest book Noise we have another instalment for the case of behavioural science in decision making, writes Chris Davies, who assesses what it takes to improve everyday compliance issues

Kahneman, Cass Sunstein and Oliver Sibony provide the reader with plenty of examples for how subconscious bias (skewed thinking) and ‘noise' (the variability of errors or inaccurate decision making) can cause real problems particularly when it comes to risk management. Two wrongs don't make a right and when they collude bias and noise contribute to significant failures in accuracy due to unwanted variability in their decision making. For example, doctors tend to subscribe more antibiotics, painkillers or tests in the afternoon than they do in the morning. Judges come to very different se...

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