Conjunction Fallacy
Conjunction Fallacy: “The tendency to assume that specific conditions are more probable than general ones.”
For the first homework assignment in Irrational Design (RISD W/S 18), I was given the Conjunction Fallacy as my bias to expand from. This idea stumped me for a bit. Simply the idea of using more specific information to create a convincing story didn’t expand beyond itself immediately. I had to mull over the concept for a few days before I was able to formulate some ideas for illustration via comic or in everyday practice.
Comics:
Comic 1:
The first comic likens to a situation many of us have gone through. You’re passing through the supermarket and you spot the newest name-brand product on the shelf. It has a big display with lots of colorful bold words. You see the generic version of the same item a little further away and, despite being cheaper, you’re still tempted to buy the branded one. These companies use bold words and details to convince buyers that they’re getting their extra money’s worth through their superior product, even though the ingredients are the same across the board.
Comic 2:
This comic is more of an absurdist take on the idea of the conjunction fallacy. The man on stage is telling an anecdote about his day to the audience. The story itself really has no substance whatsoever, yet he elaborates with a copious amount of detail. His ability to speak at length without an actual narrative is extremely riveting to the audience. They’re embracing the vividness of the account, even though it doesn’t have substance. While this normally wouldn’t really fly, this kooky audience seems to enjoy it for the sake of the bias at hand.
Comic 3:
This comic investigates the use of the conjunction fallacy in the current climate of the media. In this comic I’ve juxtaposed frames from CNN and Fox News, using modified headlines to illustrate the bias. The CNN headline, being a left-wing news channel, poses Trump’s current approval rating as a disapproval rating, giving them a larger number to use. This makes their viewers happy, in that it shows their distaste for the president is shared with a majority of the country. Fox News still needs to report this information, however they must do so in a way that satisfies their viewers. This is done through the use of the added detail about loyal supporters. While this sentence doesn’t add any new, valuable information, it makes the viewers more psychologically content with their chosen political alignment.
Conjunction Fallacy in Practice:
Example 1:
Kind Bars and other similar protein bars use their packaging graphic to advertise and promote the health benefits of the product. While what they’re saying on the wrapper may be true, you are still eating candied nuts with chocolate drizzled on top. The goal of snacks like this is to reach the health-conscious consumer who misses the taste of real sweets. So while it may seems like eating this healthy-looking, minimalist, non-produced and organic bar is the wisest choice for your body, you might as well grab a Snickers once in a while and not fall victim to this bias. Your wallet and maybe your mind, will thank you.
Example 2:
The internet is an extremely dangerous place. Due to the huge volume of content we take in on a daily basis, its very easy to start taking everything at face-value, without taking the time for extra research on things that don’t seems plausible. This is especially true with Facebook. Many people, especially older generations will look to the social media site as a source for up to date, reputable news. While this may be true in some cases, its very easy for individuals to create fake news sites with fabricated stories, and push them on the site to forward their own personal views or agendas. This is extremely dangerous, as it becomes exceedingly difficult to tell real from fake if there are enough details to create a logical narrative. This malicious use of conjunction fallacy is said to have played a large impact on the results of the presidential election.
Example 3:
This ad is used to convince buyers to purchase their brand of margarine instead of conventional butter. Using conjunction fallacy, the advertisers list reasons as to why their alternative is more healthy than the established norm. The list covers health benefits as well as confirmation that you won’t loose the taste of butter with this substitute. Through the excess of information, the brand creates a case as to why there’s simply no reason you should be buying butter instead of margarine.
