Tag Archives: cognitive bias

Interviewed on Morning Wave in Busan! Con artist tactics and biases

A vivid scene in an urban environment where a con artist, a confident White male in his 40s, dressed in a flamboyant suit, is performing a three-card monte on a portable table. He has a slicked-back hairstyle and a sly grin, making extravagant gestures to entice the crowd. A Black female assistant, dressed in a colorful dress and with a mischievous look, is subtly pointing at one of the cards, suggesting a rigged game. The surrounding crowd, including a young Middle-Eastern male and an elderly South Asian female, are looking on with a mix of excitement and suspicion, with some individuals appearing to be in the midst of betting. The backdrop is a graffiti-covered wall, signaling a less affluent area of the city, with the bustle of city life evident in the blurred motion of people walking by in the background.

Who’s fooling who?

Just off a 10-minute expert segment on Morning Wave in Busan, I dove into the world of con artists and their psychological tactics. These modern-day illusionists blend a mix of confidence, social skills, and an air of authority to build trust and credibility. They skillfully exploit cognitive biases to connect with their targets, often using the Barnum Effect to make us feel understood on a personal level.

Gaslighting and conning, while different in approach—one destabilizes, the other deceives—both play on our vulnerabilities. Our emotional needs and life transitions can make us prime targets for their schemes. Yet, with awareness and skepticism, we can fend off these deceptive advances.

Here’s the video interview:

Knowledge is our best defense. Stay sharp, stay skeptical, and keep questioning.

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New Course Release: Understanding Cognitive Biases on Wondrium

I am pleased to share the release of my new course, “Understanding Cognitive Biases,” now available on Wondrium. This course explores the fascinating world of cognitive biases and their impact on our daily decisions and interactions, illustrated with practical examples from our everyday lives and the cinematic world.

Whether you’re delving into psychology or just curious about the workings of the mind, this course offers a thoughtful exploration into a core aspect of cognitive psychology.

Explore the course here.

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