We're biased, you and I

We are an educated bunch. So obviously, its assumed that we do all the necessary research before purchasing any commodity that exceeds a certain value. Depending on the purchasing power, the amount of research is directly proportional to the value, actually. But in reality, do we base our choices on pure logic when it comes to buying technology?

As much as we'd like to believe we do, it isn't true. Our mind is a powerful machine, but it is a victim of innumerable biases that exist in our society. As much as we might try to avoid them, these exist in our sub-conscience and express themselves through our choices and decisions.

Let me explain this concept further to help you understand it better.

Most tech-folks, and all the other self proclaimed 'tech-gurus' are probably prone to getting questioned by their friends. "Is XYZ tablet good?" or "Is XYZ the best tablet for me?". I find myself at the receiving end of such questions (blame it on the B. Tech. in Computer Science that I'm pursuing), and more often than not, if I tell them that, say PQR tablet will suite their needs better and is far more economical, I'm greeted with a frown instead of gratitude. Yes, I used to be surprised too.

But this right here is a classic case of the Confirmation bias. It can be defined as a tendency of people to favor information that confirms their own beliefs of hypothesis. In much simpler words, your friends have already made up their mind. They're asking you only because they want you to agree.

Confirmation bias is actually a very wide psychological concept, commonly seen in detectives. If you watch enough Castle or Cops (television series), you'd probably notice cases where they narrow down their investigation to one suspect, and pursue the case, with the sole aim of finding enough evidence to incriminate him, and thereby subconsciously disregarding evidence pointing to the actual perpetrator. It's the same concept.

Let's move on to our next bias. This one is probably something we can blame on our parents, or maybe other elders in our life.
Why them? Because they're more psychologically opposed to change. We as humans are creatures of routine. We subconsciously let this affect our purchases as well. Familiar products are preferred over highly recommended ones. Yes, this is one of the factors involved in brand loyalty.
It's termed as the Status quo bias - a cognitive bias, or a preference for the current state of affairs.

Okay, show of hands (or likes, whichever applies), how many of you have used a Nokia under the belief that it has the best battery life, and/or is the most durable phone out there?

I come across people who purchased Nokia Lumia phones that are prone to lag, with these beliefs.

I've used two Nokia phones in my lifetime (of a little more than 18 years). The first, being the Nokia 5800, and the second, the Nokia N8 (2010). I bought the N8 after the 5800 got robbed one unfortunate evening, in public transit, and used it for more than two years. I'm probably not the best person to comment on it's durability or lack thereof, because I treat my phone like my girlfriend (which probably explains why I don't have one). But I'd be glad to shatter any hopes you might have with regard to it's battery life. 8 hours at the most, with minimal use.

Next up, the fan-boys (and girls). This is another cognitive anomaly. We observe people who rave and more often, rant in support of a product or a company, even when the facts point in the opposite direction (the terms Apple and BlackBerry come to mind). Research has shown that ownership of a product (and in turn it's associated ideology) adds emotional value to things - i.e. the endowment effect. Then there is the 'choice supportive bias', which makes your mind justify your irrational purchase so as to avoid cognitive dissonance (in this case, buyer's remorse).

In simple words, know anyone who bought the iPhone 5s for ₹70,000?

We all know it isn't worth it, but don't you dare tell them that. They will fight you tooth and nail (imagine: Dentist vs. Pedicurist), justifying themselves. That's classic choice supportive bias.

For those (most) of you are waiting for me to come to a conclusion, and stop all the psycho-babble, the point is this: no matter how much buying advice you receive, if you're not aware of these biases your sub-conscience has built up over an entire lifetime, you'll be prone to making the wrong choices. Knowing about them should help you mitigate their effects at least to a certain extent.

So the next time you fall head over heels for a product (refer: Forever Alone), analyse why that behavior is being triggered. Once you do, and realize, for example, that you want the iPhone 5s simply because it's a status symbol, then by all means, go ahead and buy it. Just don't try to justify your purchase as a purely logical one.

Among all the other sources I've used to write this, I'd like to thank Siddharth Parwatay of Digit Magazine for getting me thinking in this direction (Editorial, October 2013). And well, my dad, for subscribing to it. :)