Complexity Bias

Have you ever bought products ‘boosted with peptides and essential ceramides’ or ‘enriched with superfoods and macro greens’ without fully understanding why, but assuming they must be better or healthier? If so, you might have a bias toward complexity. 

Complexity bias is our tendency to prefer complex explanations over simpler ones, believing they’re more accurate or “better” – even though that’s often not the case (1-6). 

Cognitive biases, like complexity bias, are mental shortcuts our brains use to quickly process information. These biases are often unconscious, yet they influence how we perceive situations and make decisions (7-9). In the case of complexity bias, by choosing the more complex solution, we mentally label the problem as being too complex and surrender our need to understand it fully – hence saving us time and energy (1). 

Complexity bias can also lead us to believe in conspiracy theories. When we are faced with random or chaotic events, such as a major disaster, our brains crave order and explanation. This need can lead us to favor complex explanations of secret plots or hidden forces, even when a simpler explanation, like random chance, is more likely. This tendency to overcomplicate things is why complexity bias can be a breeding ground for misinformation (1,10-13).

By recognizing our biases, we can make more informed decisions and avoid falling victim to misleading information. The next time you’re faced with a complex problem, consider that it might not require an elaborate answer – sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one.

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