<p>As @Arnon suggested in the comments, this looks to be a case of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hindsight bias</a>, especially given the reference to "hindsight is 20/20" in a comment.</p>

<p>Via Wikipedia:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Hindsight bias, also known as the knew-it-all-along phenomenon[1] or creeping determinism,[2] refers to the common tendency for people to perceive events that have already occurred as having been more predictable than they actually were before the events took place.[3][4] As a result, people often believe, after an event has occurred, that they would have predicted, or perhaps even would have known with a high degree of certainty, what the outcome of the event would have been, before the event occurred.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-12T16:23:23.373Z
2019-11-12T16:23:23.373Z
Bryan Krause
<p>Is there in psychology an explanation and/or term that describes the phenomena that exists where people perceive a solution to a problem as “simple” after the solution has been found?
I have noticed in my many years of working with people that there are some who claim the solution to a problem was “simple” - and take great pride in this - but only after the solution has been found.
Of course, many things seem “simple” or “obvious” after they are known.</p>

<p>Example:  Fixing a car.</p>

<p>A mechanic needs to fix a car the problem area of which he does not know “specifically” but “generally” and he has to test each part he removes.  The parts are A, B, C, D and E. He has to remove parts B, C, D and E just to get to part A, all of which are time-consuming to remove (except part A).  Part A turns out to be the faulty part and it’s easy to replace - just two screws.
The boss (who is a mechanic himself but with higher rank within the company) says that the repair was “simple” - just had to change part A.</p>

<p>(Think an electrical system issue - battery, alternator, starter, starter relay).</p>

<p>Is that “oversimplification bias”?  I don’t know if such a bias exists.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-10T08:55:27.710Z
Possible duplicate of https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/15668/7001, https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/3801/7001, https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/4632/7001
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-10T11:35:56.687Z
@ArnonWeinberg Hello Arnon - your response is very good.  But expertise has nothing to do with the phenomena that I am referring to.  The phenomena I have observed seems to be more akin to “hindsight is 20-20”.  Thank you.
tale852150
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-10T16:41:07.467Z
I see.  In that case, you may want to check out [Hindsight Bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias).
Arnon Weinberg
<cognitive-psychology><perception>
What is the psychological explanation for the phenomena that a person sees the solution to a problem as “simple” once it has been found?
tale852150
# What is the psychological explanation for the phenomena that a person sees the solution to a problem as “simple” once it has been found?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-10)

Is there in psychology an explanation and/or term that describes the phenomena that exists where people perceive a solution to a problem as “simple” after the solution has been found?
I have noticed in my many years of working with people that there are some who claim the solution to a problem was “simple” - and take great pride in this - but only after the solution has been found.
Of course, many things seem “simple” or “obvious” after they are known.

Example: Fixing a car.

A mechanic needs to fix a car the problem area of which he does not know “specifically” but “generally” and he has to test each part he removes. The parts are A, B, C, D and E. He has to remove parts B, C, D and E just to get to part A, all of which are time-consuming to remove (except part A). Part A turns out to be the faulty part and it’s easy to replace - just two screws.
The boss (who is a mechanic himself but with higher rank within the company) says that the repair was “simple” - just had to change part A.

(Think an electrical system issue - battery, alternator, starter, starter relay).

Is that “oversimplification bias”? I don’t know if such a bias exists.

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, perception

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Possible duplicate of https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/15668/7001, https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/3801/7001, https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/4632/7001  
> **username_0**: @ArnonWeinberg Hello Arnon - your response is very good.  But expertise has nothing to do with the phenomena that I am referring to.  The phenomena I have observed seems to be more akin to “hindsight is 20-20”.  Thank you.  
> **username_1**: I see.  In that case, you may want to check out [Hindsight Bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias).  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-11-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

As @Arnon suggested in the comments, this looks to be a case of the [hindsight bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias), especially given the reference to "hindsight is 20/20" in a comment.

Via Wikipedia:

> Hindsight bias, also known as the knew-it-all-along phenomenon[1] or creeping determinism,[2] refers to the common tendency for people to perceive events that have already occurred as having been more predictable than they actually were before the events took place.[3][4] As a result, people often believe, after an event has occurred, that they would have predicted, or perhaps even would have known with a high degree of certainty, what the outcome of the event would have been, before the event occurred.


---

