<p>The described scenario is about <em>ascribing the problem to a single mistake, while the real problem was long-term wrong behaviour.</em> From the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases" rel="nofollow noreferrer">list of cognitive biases</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fallacies</a>, this is the closest what I could find:</p>

<p><strong>Fallacy of the single cause:</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The fallacy of the single cause, also known as complex cause, causal
  oversimplification, causal reductionism, and reduction fallacy, is
  a fallacy of questionable cause that occurs when it is assumed that
  there is a single, simple cause of an outcome when in reality it may
  have been caused by a number of only jointly sufficient causes. It can be 
  logically reduced to: " X caused Y; therefore, X was the only cause of
  Y" (although A,B,C...etc. also contributed to Y.) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy_of_the_single_cause" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The terms bias and fallacy are used to describe how being <em>unaware</em> of deceptive logic or prejudice results in wrong conclusions. In the scenario in the question, one is <em>consciously</em> trying to interpret the situation in attempt to avoid the full truth, which can be described with the terms, such as:</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>Minimisation</strong> - a type of deception involving denial coupled with rationalisation in situations where complete denial is implausible (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimisation_(psychology)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>).</li>
<li><strong>Belittling</strong> - regarding or portraying as less impressive or important than appearances indicate (<a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/belittle" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dictionary.com</a>).</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T18:28:30.763Z
2019-12-30T17:54:34.717Z
2019-12-30T17:54:34.717Z
Jan
<p>Assume I had a business. That business would've been very close to be sold to a bigger company, <strong>if only I didn't mess up some of my papers.</strong> Thing is though, I didn't really only mess these papers. The issues started years ago when I thought I'd be smart and not fully fill out all the forms and so on. In time, it all added up, but given that it was some precise papers at the end that got me, I'm prone to say "ah, if only this [most recent evil] didn't happen!".</p>

<p>What bias am I guilty of?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-24T12:01:38.363Z
Recency bias might be appropriate.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T12:09:33.307Z
[Hindsight bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias)?
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T12:18:41.753Z
[Outcome bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome_bias)?
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T12:50:19.377Z
Are you strictly looking just for the name of bias or also for further description of such bias? Are you also interested in some terms from common language or just in official terms?
Jan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T16:24:12.603Z
@ChrisRogers I think "hindsight" doesn't fit, because although I having that bias is pre-requisite to commiting the "crime", it's not part of the issue I was talking about directly. I believe outcome bias works in **tandem, together with recency bias, in this case, upon further reading.**
Daniel M
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T16:26:01.737Z
@Jan Not me specifically, but I assume others who would read could benefit. I work in data science. We analyze *everyone's* data, but I am illiterate when it comes to common naming, that is to say, I can tell you about what an individual is likely going to do in layman's terms and I'd be accurate, but make me phrase the same conclusion using fancy words and I crumble under the pressure of never having been to school.
Daniel M
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-28T12:25:57.867Z
To find the most appropriate name for bias, you need to exactly word out two things in layman terms: 1) What was the essence of the problematic behaviour ("be smart and not fully fill out all the forms"): ignorance, naivety, laziness, carelessness...? 2) How would you most accurately describe the bias: ascribing the problem to a) a single event vs multiple events, b) a single event vs long-term behaviour or attitude to work c)...?
Jan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-29T19:58:00.103Z
This may also be a defensive mechanism rather than a bias - something along the lines of [minimisation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimisation_(psychology)) where I admit to only the minimum fault possible so as to avoid guilt over the much larger crime committed.
Arnon Weinberg
<bias>
Believing only one thing matters, when in reality, it was a chain reaction. What's the bias called?
Daniel M
# Believing only one thing matters, when in reality, it was a chain reaction. What's the bias called?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-24)

Assume I had a business. That business would've been very close to be sold to a bigger company, **if only I didn't mess up some of my papers.** Thing is though, I didn't really only mess these papers. The issues started years ago when I thought I'd be smart and not fully fill out all the forms and so on. In time, it all added up, but given that it was some precise papers at the end that got me, I'm prone to say "ah, if only this [most recent evil] didn't happen!".

What bias am I guilty of?

**Tags:** bias

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Recency bias might be appropriate.  
> **username_2**: [Hindsight bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias)?  
> **username_2**: [Outcome bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome_bias)?  
> **username_3**: Are you strictly looking just for the name of bias or also for further description of such bias? Are you also interested in some terms from common language or just in official terms?  
> **username_0**: @ChrisRogers I think "hindsight" doesn't fit, because although I having that bias is pre-requisite to commiting the "crime", it's not part of the issue I was talking about directly. I believe outcome bias works in **tandem, together with recency bias, in this case, upon further reading.**  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Not me specifically, but I assume others who would read could benefit. I work in data science. We analyze *everyone's* data, but I am illiterate when it comes to common naming, that is to say, I can tell you about what an individual is likely going to do in layman's terms and I'd be accurate, but make me phrase the same conclusion using fancy words and I crumble under the pressure of never having been to school.  
> **username_3**: To find the most appropriate name for bias, you need to exactly word out two things in layman terms: 1) What was the essence of the problematic behaviour ("be smart and not fully fill out all the forms"): ignorance, naivety, laziness, carelessness...? 2) How would you most accurately describe the bias: ascribing the problem to a) a single event vs multiple events, b) a single event vs long-term behaviour or attitude to work c)...?  
> **username_4**: This may also be a defensive mechanism rather than a bias - something along the lines of [minimisation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimisation_(psychology)) where I admit to only the minimum fault possible so as to avoid guilt over the much larger crime committed.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-12-27. Score: 1

The described scenario is about *ascribing the problem to a single mistake, while the real problem was long-term wrong behaviour.* From the [list of cognitive biases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases) or [fallacies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies), this is the closest what I could find:

**Fallacy of the single cause:**

> The fallacy of the single cause, also known as complex cause, causal
> oversimplification, causal reductionism, and reduction fallacy, is
> a fallacy of questionable cause that occurs when it is assumed that
> there is a single, simple cause of an outcome when in reality it may
> have been caused by a number of only jointly sufficient causes. It can be
> logically reduced to: " X caused Y; therefore, X was the only cause of
> Y" (although A,B,C...etc. also contributed to Y.) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy_of_the_single_cause))

The terms bias and fallacy are used to describe how being *unaware* of deceptive logic or prejudice results in wrong conclusions. In the scenario in the question, one is *consciously* trying to interpret the situation in attempt to avoid the full truth, which can be described with the terms, such as:

* **Minimisation** - a type of deception involving denial coupled with rationalisation in situations where complete denial is implausible ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimisation_(psychology))).
* **Belittling** - regarding or portraying as less impressive or important than appearances indicate ([Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/belittle)).


---

