Laws & Patterns
Cognitive Bias

Availability Heuristic

People judge likelihood by how easily examples come to mind

Definition

People estimate the probability or frequency of an event based on how easily they can recall similar instances. Recent, memorable, or frequently encountered examples seem more likely to occur than they actually are.

Do

  • Provide concrete examples to illustrate abstract concepts
  • Use familiar analogies to explain new features
  • Make important information memorable and accessible
  • Share relevant case studies and success stories

Avoid

  • Rely on users to imagine abstract scenarios
  • Assume users understand risks without examples
  • Hide important information that should be easily recalled
  • Use only statistical data without concrete examples

When to apply

  • Error messaging
  • Risk communication
  • Feature promotion
  • User expectations

Related topics

Similar principles

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