Factorul lingvistic în formarea biasurilor cognitive (implicaţii pentru educaţie)
The linguistic factor in the formation of cognitive biases (implications for education)

Author(s): Elena Lacusta
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Biblioteca Ştiinţifică a Universităţii de Stat Alecu Russo
Keywords: cognitive bias; language; reference; (educational) communication; fast/slow thinking; scepticism
Summary/Abstract: Faced with an overwhelming volume of information, the human brain naturally resorts to efficient cognitive shortcuts that, at the same time, can trigger systematic distortions known as cognitive biases. One of the sources of these biases is language itself (the “idol of the marketplace” in Bacon’s terminology). The paper examines, through this lens, a series of linguistic phenomena based on ambiguities and/or semantic gaps that can generate various types of cognitive errors. When processing a linguistic message, Kahneman’s System 1 (fast thinking) is activated and instantly fills referential gaps with the most emotionally, experientially, and culturally available content. The solution for reducing language-induced biases lies in the deliberate activation of System 2 (slow, deliberate thinking). As early as the 17th century, Francis Bacon (1620) warned that the intellect “draws all things” to support its initial conclusion, while David Hume (1748) showed that habit, not reason, is the great guide of human life. Contemporary cognitive psychology merely confirms these ancient observations through rigorous experiments: confirmation bias, anchoring, availability, and labelling effects are not isolated flaws, but inevitable consequences of the fast cognitive architecture that we inherit. The philosophical counterpart of this process is methodical scepticism. In educational communication and intercultural interaction, the conscious shift from System 1 to System 2 and the moderate practice of methodical scepticism – by reducing prejudices and preferences, paying attention to vague referents, and avoiding oversimplifying labels – are not mere exercises in rigour, but essential conditions for clearer thinking and less distorted communication.

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