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TRAP #106 ·VOL I The Individual · Self-Deception & Motivated ReasoningLEXICON ENTRY

Ostrich Effect

Discovered by Dan Galai, 2006

If You Don't Look at the Bad News, It Can't Be That Bad Avoiding information that might cause psychological discomfort - even when that information is critical for decision-making. *(Evidence: Strong)* The tendency to avoid negative but useful information. Named after the myth that ostriches bury their heads in the sand. Investors avoid checking portfolios during downturns. Patients delay test results. Managers avoid reading customer complaints. The avoidance is not ignorance - the person knows the information exists and suspects it's bad. The strategy is deliberate non-looking.
Category: BiasEvidence: ReplicatedTier 2Type: Patternⓘ what these mean

This is a Lexicon entry: the mechanism, when it shows up, and the countermeasure. The full correction, with real-world cases and the audit prompt, hasn't been written yet.

When it shows up

Not opening bills during financial stress. Avoiding medical test results. Skipping performance reviews. Ignoring analytics dashboards after a product launch. Not reading contract fine print.

Failure mode

Problems compound while unobserved. The portfolio losses deepen. The medical condition progresses. The organisational dysfunction metastasizes. The cost of avoidance always exceeds the cost of the information.

Countermeasure

Schedule mandatory information check-ins that are time-bound and non-negotiable. Separate the act of receiving information from the act of deciding what to do about it. Pre-commit: "I will look at X every Monday regardless of mood."

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Related traps

Also connected in the map4 more, locked

Also revealed

Want the full correction for Ostrich Effect?

This entry has the mechanism and countermeasure. The full write-up - real cases, sources, the audit prompt - comes later.

Entry #106 of 631 in The Lexicon · see the full Lexicon