You’re staring at a puzzle. The solution feels just out of reach. You’ve tried the obvious, you’ve checked your work, but you’re still stuck. The frustrating truth is that sometimes, the biggest obstacle isn’t the puzzle itself – it’s your own brain working against you!
Our minds use mental shortcuts, or “heuristics,” to make quick decisions every day. While incredibly useful, these shortcuts can lead to systematic errors in thinking known as cognitive biases. These biases can cloud our judgment, trap us in flawed logic, and make even simple puzzles seem impossible.
Welcome back to Sequentia! Today, let’s explore three common cognitive biases that trip up puzzle solvers and learn how to spot them in the wild.
1. Confirmation Bias: The Echo Chamber in Your Head
- What it is: Confirmation bias is our tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms our pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses. We love being right, so our brain actively seeks evidence that proves our initial guess was correct, while ignoring evidence that suggests it was wrong.
- How it trips you up: In a number sequence puzzle, you might quickly decide the rule is “add 2.” You’ll then test this rule on the parts of the sequence where it works and feel validated, while subconsciously dismissing the one number that doesn’t fit the pattern. In a logic puzzle, you might make an early assumption (“The person in the red hat must be the one who owns the cat”) and then interpret all subsequent clues through that lens, failing to see other possibilities.
- How to spot it: Ask yourself, “Am I trying to prove my theory, or am I trying to disprove it?” Actively look for evidence that contradicts your current hypothesis. A good puzzle solver doesn’t just ask “Does this work?”; they ask “Where doesn’t this work?”
2. Functional Fixedness: The “Tool for One Job” Trap
- What it is: Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used. We see a hammer and think only of pounding nails, not of its potential as a paperweight or a pendulum weight.
- How it trips you up: This bias is classic in riddles and “out-of-the-box” thinking puzzles. In a number sequence, it might manifest as only considering simple arithmetic operations (+, -, *, /) while overlooking other possibilities like “the numbers represent the count of straight lines in the digits 0-9” or “the sequence is based on the keys on a phone pad.” You’re “fixed” on the function of numbers as purely mathematical values, not as symbols or representations of something else.
- How to spot it: If you’re completely stuck, question your fundamental assumptions about the puzzle’s components. Ask, “What else could these numbers/words/shapes represent? What is another way I can use this information?” Deliberately try to think of the most unconventional interpretations.
3. Anchoring Bias: The Power of the First Impression
- What it is: Anchoring bias is our tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the “anchor”) when making decisions. All subsequent judgments are then adjusted based on that anchor.
- How it trips you up: The first two or three numbers in a sequence can act as a powerful anchor. If a sequence starts “2, 4…”, your mind immediately anchors on the “add 2” or “multiply by 2” rule. Even if the rest of the sequence is “2, 4, 7, 11, 16…”, you might struggle to let go of your initial “add 2” theory because it was your first impression. The actual rule (+2, +3, +4, +5…) is harder to see because you’re tethered to the initial anchor.
- How to spot it: Don’t get married to your first idea! Treat your initial hypothesis as just one of many possibilities. If a pattern doesn’t hold true for the entire puzzle, be willing to discard your anchor completely and start fresh, looking at the data set as a whole.
Becoming a better puzzle solver isn’t just about learning more math or logic; it’s about learning how to think about how you think. By recognizing these cognitive biases, you can start to sidestep your brain’s own traps and see the solutions that were hiding in plain sight all along.
Which of these biases have you fallen for before? Let us know in the comments!
