{"id":5815,"date":"2020-03-18T15:28:08","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T15:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:23:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:23:34","slug":"neuromarketing-heuristics-and-biases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/","title":{"rendered":"Neuromarketing: Why does our brain deceive us?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although we may believe that we are fully aware of all the decisions we make, in reality our brain decides for us without us often being able to use logical and rational thinking. It is estimated that <strong>between 85 % and 95 % of our decisions are made unconsciously.<\/strong>. But how is this possible?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5810\" title=\"Neuromarketing\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg\" alt=\"Neuromarketing\" width=\"468\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920-1024x526.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920-768x395.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920-1536x790.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents of the entry<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Contents\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #a09353;color:#a09353\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #a09353;color:#a09353\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#TEORIA_DEL_PROCESO_DUAL\" >DUAL PROCESS THEORY<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#HEURISTICOS\" >HEURISTICS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#SESGOS_COGNITIVOS\" >COGNITIVE BIASES<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TEORIA_DEL_PROCESO_DUAL\"><\/span><strong>DUAL PROCESS THEORY<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let's start with the dual process theory, which proposes the existence of <strong>two ways of thinking<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <strong>system 1<\/strong> or thought <strong>fast and intuitive<\/strong>. It integrates automatic processes that take place unconsciously in the background. This requires less mental activity and, therefore, less effort. It is based on past experiences, emotions, working memory... The existence of system 1 lies in the <strong>our brain's need to save energy<\/strong>. It would be exhausting to rationally analyze every component of every decision we make throughout the day.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <strong>system 2<\/strong> or thought <strong>slow and thoughtful<\/strong>. It involves processes that require logical and analytical reasoning. This requires conscious thought that entails more time for reflection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Therefore, making certain decisions using system 1 saves time and energy. The speed of this thinking is based on\u00a0<strong>mental shortcuts developed over time<\/strong> based on past experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These shortcuts are called <strong>heuristics<\/strong>. Its function is to simplify and filter the information we receive. However, this way of proceeding <strong>can lead to erroneous conclusions<\/strong> or, in other words, <strong>cognitive biases<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5811\" title=\"Heuristics and biases\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/movement-2953852_1920.jpg\" alt=\"Heuristics and biases\" width=\"395\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/movement-2953852_1920.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/movement-2953852_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/movement-2953852_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/movement-2953852_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/movement-2953852_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px\" \/><\/span><\/h3>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HEURISTICOS\"><\/span><strong>HEURISTICS<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among the most outstanding heuristics we can find the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heuristic of<strong> representativeness.<\/strong>\u00a0It consists of making judgments based on the resemblance of certain situations to others. That is, judging the <strong>probability that a person<\/strong> or thing <strong>belong to a group<\/strong> or category based on the similarity between the person and the members of the group.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, if we describe Peter as a shy, tidy, detail-oriented person, what do we think he might be a farmer, an airline pilot, or a librarian? Our first thought leans toward the librarian option. This is because Peter's description best fits the idea we have about librarians. However, by statistics, Peter is more likely to be a farmer.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heuristic of <strong>anchoring and adjustment.<\/strong>\u00a0It consists of making judgments based on a <strong>initial value<\/strong> (anchor) that<strong>\u00a0is being adjusted<\/strong> until the final answer is generated. This answer is biased towards the initial value, since it is assumed to be relevant to the problem, being wrong in many occasions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">For example, when asked the question \"Do you think that at the summit of Everest the water boils at a temperature higher or lower than 10 degrees? Even if we have no idea, our answer will probably look for a value that fits those 10 degrees, because we consider that this is relevant information. However, it has nothing to do with it, since the correct answer is 69 degrees. If we were to ask the same question with another value as an anchor, the answer would still be adjusted to that new value.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heuristic of <strong>availability.<\/strong>\u00a0It is used to determine the <strong>probability of an event occurring<\/strong> or not. <strong>The more accessible it is<\/strong> This event (or another similar one) in our mind or easier to remember, will seem more frequent and probable.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">For example, if we ask, is it more likely to die from a shark attack or from the impact of a falling piece of an airplane? We would probably think that the shark attack is more likely, since they are easier to remember because they are more shocking and appear more frequently in the media. However, the probability of being killed by an airplane part is 30 times higher.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SESGOS_COGNITIVOS\"><\/span><strong>COGNITIVE BIASES<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are countless categories and types of biases, so let's review some of them:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Halo effect<\/strong>. It is the capacity we have to <strong>changing a person's perception<\/strong> or thing by extrapolating a <strong>specific quality<\/strong>. That is, if a person or element has visual appeal, we automatically attribute positive characteristics to it. And vice versa. For example, if we see a person with a lot of tattoos and piercings, what do we think about them? What job do we think they have? What do we think their character is like? What about their family life?\u00a0<\/span>With that description, we create a picture in our heads that helps us answer those questions, but it doesn't have to match reality.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Forer Effect<\/strong>. It is the phenomenon by which people feel that they are <strong>identified with descriptions<\/strong> or personal traits thinking that they define them, but in reality they are <strong>general<\/strong> and not very specific. They feel identified because they apply a subjective meaning to it and thus perceive it as something personal. This is the basis of the <strong>horoscopes<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Bandwagon effect<\/strong> or dragging. It is the tendency to make or <strong>understand sth.<\/strong> by the fact that <strong>other people think so<\/strong> or they do. It's the power of groupthink.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A clear example is the <strong>Asch's experiment<\/strong>, which sought to demonstrate how individuals alter their responses or behaviors to make them fit with those of the majority. A group of people were asked a series of simple questions. These included deciding which of the lines was longer or which of the lines matched the reference line:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5812\" title=\"Asch&#039;s experiment\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Asch_experiment.svg_.png\" alt=\"Asch&#039;s experiment\" width=\"218\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Asch_experiment.svg_.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Asch_experiment.svg_-300x246.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Asch_experiment.svg_-1024x840.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Asch_experiment.svg_-768x630.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this group of people, all knew the purpose of the experiment except one. At the beginning, in order to disguise it, all the answers given were correct, but as the questions went by, the subjects answered wrongly (being all aware of it, except one). The result was that, based on the carry-over effect, the only real subject in the experiment ended up matching his answers to those of the majority, even though he knew they were not correct.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Environmental perception effect<\/strong>. The environment has a great <strong>influence on behavior<\/strong> of people. In a chaotic, deteriorated and dirty environment, people tend to be more uncivic and chaotic, even committing vandalism or criminal acts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5813 aligncenter\" title=\"Broken windows theory\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/glass-984457_1920.jpg\" alt=\"Broken windows theory\" width=\"355\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/glass-984457_1920.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/glass-984457_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/glass-984457_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/glass-984457_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/glass-984457_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An interesting example is the <strong>broken windows theory<\/strong>, an experiment conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo. Two cars were abandoned without license plates and with their doors open in the Bronx (a troubled neighborhood in NY) and in Palo Alto (a wealthy and quiet area of California). Within 10 minutes of being abandoned, the Bronx car was stolen. After three days there was nothing of value left. Then they started to smash it up. In contrast, the Palo Alto car, after a week, remained intact. The investigators broke the glass to test the effect it had. After that, the car suffered the same fate as the one abandoned in the Bronx: theft, violence and vandalism.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Frequency illusion<\/strong>. It is the phenomenon whereby, after focusing on a specific event, <strong>we believe we see it more often<\/strong> around us. The explanation lies in the fact that we are the ones who perceive this event in a different way, since before we probably did not pay so much attention to it and thought it was not so frequent. This happens, for example, when we buy a certain car and suddenly we see it everywhere. Has there been a massive sale of that model? No, but before you probably didn't notice that particular car. Another clear example happens when a person around you announces her pregnancy. It is likely that walking down the street you notice all the pregnant women and think that there has been a baby boom, but in reality this is not the case.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Reference point<\/strong> or status-quo. This bias explains the difference between each person's point of reference, which causes a perception or <strong>different values for the same event<\/strong>. For example, a person with a salary of \u20ac1,500 may feel that he or she earns a lot if all his or her circle of relatives or friends have salaries below \u20ac1,000. However, another person with a salary of \u20ac1,500, but who moves in a circle where the average salary is \u20ac2,500, may feel that he\/she is underpaid. For the same amount, the perception may be different depending on the reference we take.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so much for our incursion into the world of the <strong>heuristics and biases<\/strong>. What did you think? Would you like to know more about them? Tell us in the comments.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although we may believe that we are fully aware of all the decisions we make, in reality our brain decides for us without us often being able to use logical and rational thinking. It is estimated that between 85 % and 95 % of our decisions are made unconsciously. But how is this possible? DUAL PROCESS THEORY We will begin with the dual process theory, which proposes the existence of two forms of thinking: System 1 or rapid and intuitive thinking. It integrates automatic processes that take place unconsciously in the background. This requires less mental activity and therefore less effort. It is based on past experiences, emotions, working memory... The existence of system 1 lies in our brain's need to save energy. It would be exhausting to rationally analyze every component of every decision we make throughout the day. System 2 or slow and reflective thinking. It involves processes that require logical and analytical reasoning. This requires conscious thought that involves more time for reflection. Therefore, making certain decisions using system 1 saves time and energy. The speed of this thinking is based on mental shortcuts developed over time on the basis of past experience. These shortcuts are called heuristics. Their function is to simplify and filter the information we receive. However, this way of proceeding can lead to erroneous conclusions or, in other words, cognitive biases. HEURISTICS Among the most outstanding heuristics we can find the following: Heuristic of representativeness. This consists of making judgments based on the resemblance of certain situations to others. That is, judging the probability that a person or thing belongs to a group or category based on the similarity between the person and the members of the group.  For example, if we describe Peter as a shy, tidy, detail-oriented person, what do we think he might be a farmer, an airline pilot, or a librarian? Our first thought leans toward the librarian option. This is because Peter's description best fits the idea we have about librarians. However, by statistics, Peter is more likely to be a farmer. Anchoring and fitting heuristic. This consists of making judgments based on an initial value (anchor) that is adjusted until the final answer is generated. This answer is biased towards the initial value, since it is assumed that it is relevant to the problem, which is often wrong.  For example, when asked the question \"Do you think that at the summit of Everest the water boils at a temperature higher or lower than 10 degrees? Even if we have no idea, our answer will probably look for a value that fits those 10 degrees, because we consider that this is relevant information. However, it has nothing to do with it, since the correct answer is 69 degrees. If we were to formulate the same question with another value as an anchor, the answer would still be adjusted to that new value. Availability heuristic. It is used to determine the probability of an event occurring or not. The more accessible this event (or another similar one) is in our mind or the easier it is to remember, the more frequent and probable it will seem.  For example, if we ask, is it more likely to die from a shark attack or from the impact of a falling piece of an airplane? We would probably think that the shark attack is more likely, since it is easier to remember because they are more shocking and appear more frequently in the media. However, the probability of being hit by an airplane part is 30 times higher. COGNITIVE BIASES There are countless categories and types of biases, so let's review some of them: Halo effect. This is the ability we have to modify the perception of a person or thing by extrapolating a specific quality. That is, if a person or element has visual appeal, we automatically attribute positive characteristics to it. And vice versa. For example, if we see a person with many tattoos and piercings, what do we think about them? What job do we think they have? What do we think their character is like? What about their family life? With that description, we create an image in our heads that helps us answer those questions, but it doesn't have to match reality. Forer effect. This is the phenomenon whereby people identify with descriptions or personal traits they think define them, but in reality they are general and not very specific. They feel identified because they apply a subjective meaning to it and thus perceive it as something personal. This is the basis of horoscopes. Bandwagon effect. This is the tendency to do or believe something because other people believe or do it. It is the power of groupthink. A clear example is Asch's experiment, which sought to demonstrate how individuals alter their responses or behaviors to make them fit with those of the majority. A group of people were subjected to a series of simple questions. Among them were to decide which of the lines was longer or which of them matched the reference line: In this group of people, all knew the purpose of the experiment except one. At the beginning, in order to disguise, all the answers given were correct, but as the questions went by, the subjects answered wrongly (being all aware of it, except one). The result was that, based on the carry-over effect, the only real subject in the experiment ended up matching his answers to those of the majority, even though he knew they were not correct. Environmental perception effect. The environment has a great influence on people's behavior. In a chaotic, deteriorated and dirty environment, people tend to be more uncivic and chaotic, even committing vandalism or criminal actions. An interesting example is the theory of broken windows, an experiment carried out in<\/p>","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[138],"class_list":["post-5815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing-online","tag-neuromarketing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Neuromarketing: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 nuestro cerebro nos enga\u00f1a? - Geotelecom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristics-and-biases\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Neuromarketing: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 nuestro cerebro nos enga\u00f1a? - Geotelecom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Aunque creamos que somos plenamente conscientes de todas las decisiones que tomamos, en realidad nuestro cerebro decide por nosotros sin que muchas veces podamos emplear el pensamiento l\u00f3gico y racional. Se estima que entre un 85 % y un 95 % de nuestras decisiones se toman de forma inconsciente. Pero, \u00bfc\u00f3mo es esto posible? TEOR\u00cdA DEL PROCESO DUAL Vamos a comenzar por la teor\u00eda del proceso dual, que propone la existencia de dos formas de pensamiento: El sistema 1 o pensamiento r\u00e1pido e intuitivo. Integra procesos autom\u00e1ticos que tienen lugar en segundo plano de forma inconsciente. Esto requiere menor actividad mental y, por tanto, menor esfuerzo. Se basa en experiencias pasadas, emociones, memoria de trabajo\u2026 La existencia del sistema 1 radica en la necesidad de nuestro cerebro de ahorrar energ\u00eda. Ser\u00eda agotador analizar racionalmente cada componente de cada decisi\u00f3n que tomamos a lo largo del d\u00eda. El sistema 2 o pensamiento lento y reflexivo. Comporta procesos que requieren un razonamiento l\u00f3gico y anal\u00edtico. Esto precisa de un pensamiento consciente que conlleva mayor tiempo de reflexi\u00f3n. Por lo tanto, la toma de ciertas decisiones mediante el sistema 1 permite ahorrar tiempo y energ\u00eda. La rapidez de este pensamiento\u00a0se basa en\u00a0atajos mentales desarrollados a lo largo del tiempo en base a experiencias pasadas. Estos atajos se denominan heur\u00edsticos. Su funci\u00f3n es simplificar y filtrar la informaci\u00f3n que recibimos. Sin embargo, esta forma de proceder puede llevar a conclusiones err\u00f3neas o, lo que es lo mismo, sesgos cognitivos. HEUR\u00cdSTICOS Entre los heur\u00edsticos m\u00e1s destacados podemos encontrar los siguientes: Heur\u00edstico de representatividad.\u00a0Consiste en realizar juicios en funci\u00f3n de que ciertas situaciones se parezcan a otras. Esto es, juzgar la probabilidad de que una persona o cosa pertenezca a un grupo o categor\u00eda en base a la semejanza entre la persona y los miembros del grupo.\u00a0 Por ejemplo, si describimos a Pedro como una persona t\u00edmida, ordenada y detallista, \u00bfa qu\u00e9 pensamos que se puede dedicar? \u00bfSer\u00e1 granjero, piloto de avi\u00f3n o bibliotecario? Nuestro primer pensamiento se inclina hacia la opci\u00f3n de bibliotecario. Esto se debe a que la descripci\u00f3n de Pedro encaja mejor en la idea que tenemos sobre los bibliotecarios. Sin embargo, por estad\u00edstica, es m\u00e1s probable que Pedro sea granjero. Heur\u00edstico de anclaje y ajuste.\u00a0Consiste en emitir juicios basados en un valor inicial (ancla) que\u00a0se va ajustando hasta generar la respuesta final. Esta respuesta est\u00e1 sesgada hacia el valor inicial, ya que se asume que es relevante para el problema, siendo err\u00f3neo en muchas ocasiones.\u00a0 Por ejemplo, ante la pregunta \u00bfpiensas que en la cumbre del Everest el agua hierve a una temperatura mayor o menor de 10 grados? Aunque no tengamos ni idea, nuestra respuesta probablemente busque un valor que se ajuste a esos 10 grados, porque consideramos que se trata de una informaci\u00f3n relevante. Sin embargo, no tiene nada que ver, ya que la respuesta correcta es 69 grados. Si llegamos a formular la misma pregunta con otro valor que haga de ancla, igualmente la respuesta se ajustar\u00eda a ese nuevo valor. Heur\u00edstico de disponibilidad.\u00a0Se utiliza para determinar la probabilidad de que un suceso ocurra o no. Cuanto m\u00e1s accesible sea este suceso (u otro similar) en nuestra mente o m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil de recordar nos resulte, parecer\u00e1 m\u00e1s frecuente y probable.\u00a0 Por ejemplo, si preguntamos \u00bfes m\u00e1s probable morir por ataque de tibur\u00f3n o por impacto de una pieza que cae de un avi\u00f3n? Seguramente pensemos que es m\u00e1s probable el ataque de tibur\u00f3n, ya que nos resulta m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil de recordar porque son m\u00e1s impactantes y aparecen con mayor frecuencia en los medios. Sin embargo, la probabilidad de morir golpeado por una parte de un avi\u00f3n es 30 veces mayor. SESGOS COGNITIVOS Hay innumerables categor\u00edas y tipos de sesgos, as\u00ed que vamos a hacer un repaso sobre algunos de ellos: Efecto halo. Es la capacidad que tenemos para modificar la percepci\u00f3n de una persona o cosa extrapolando una cualidad espec\u00edfica. Es decir, si una persona o elemento tiene atractivo visual, autom\u00e1ticamente le atribuimos caracter\u00edsticas positivas. Y viceversa. Por ejemplo, si vemos una persona con muchos tatuajes y piercings, \u00bfqu\u00e9 pensamos sobre ella? \u00bfQu\u00e9 trabajo creemos que tiene? \u00bfC\u00f3mo pensamos que es su car\u00e1cter? \u00bfY su vida familiar?\u00a0Con esa descripci\u00f3n, nos creamos una imagen en la cabeza que nos ayuda a responder a esas preguntas, pero no tiene por qu\u00e9 coincidir con la realidad. Efecto Forer.\u00a0Es el fen\u00f3meno por el cual la gente se siente identificada con descripciones o rasgos personales pensando que les definen, pero en realidad son generales y poco espec\u00edficos. Se sienten identificados porque le aplican un significado subjetivo y as\u00ed lo perciben como algo personal. Esta es la base de los hor\u00f3scopos. Efecto Bandwagon o de arrastre. Se trata de la tendencia a hacer o creer algo por el hecho de que otras personas as\u00ed lo creen o lo hacen. Es el poder del pensamiento en grupo. Un claro ejemplo es el experimento de Asch, que pretend\u00eda demostrar c\u00f3mo los individuos alteran sus respuestas o comportamientos para hacerlos encajar con los de la mayor\u00eda. Se someti\u00f3 a un grupo de personas a una serie de preguntas sencillas. Entre ellas estaban decidir cu\u00e1l de las l\u00edneas era m\u00e1s larga o cu\u00e1l de ellas coincid\u00eda con la de referencia: En este grupo de personas, todos conoc\u00edan la finalidad del experimento salvo uno. Al principio, para disimular, todas las respuestas que se daban eran correctas, pero seg\u00fan pasaban las preguntas los sujetos iban respondiendo err\u00f3neamente (siendo todos conscientes de ello, salvo uno). El resultado fue que, en base al efecto de arrastre, el \u00fanico sujeto real del experimento, termin\u00f3 por adecuar sus respuestas a las de la mayor\u00eda, a\u00fan sabiendo que no eran correctas. Efecto de percepci\u00f3n ambiental. El ambiente tiene una gran influencia en el comportamiento de las personas. En un ambiente ca\u00f3tico, deteriorado y sucio, las personas tienden a ser m\u00e1s inc\u00edvicas y ca\u00f3ticas, llegando incluso a cometer acciones vand\u00e1licas o delictivas. Un ejemplo interesante es la teor\u00eda de las ventanas rotas, un experimento llevado a\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristics-and-biases\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Geotelecom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-18T15:28:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-16T15:23:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"987\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Neuromarketing: Why does our brain deceive us? - Geotelecom","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristics-and-biases\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Neuromarketing: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 nuestro cerebro nos enga\u00f1a? - Geotelecom","og_description":"Aunque creamos que somos plenamente conscientes de todas las decisiones que tomamos, en realidad nuestro cerebro decide por nosotros sin que muchas veces podamos emplear el pensamiento l\u00f3gico y racional. Se estima que entre un 85 % y un 95 % de nuestras decisiones se toman de forma inconsciente. Pero, \u00bfc\u00f3mo es esto posible? TEOR\u00cdA DEL PROCESO DUAL Vamos a comenzar por la teor\u00eda del proceso dual, que propone la existencia de dos formas de pensamiento: El sistema 1 o pensamiento r\u00e1pido e intuitivo. Integra procesos autom\u00e1ticos que tienen lugar en segundo plano de forma inconsciente. Esto requiere menor actividad mental y, por tanto, menor esfuerzo. Se basa en experiencias pasadas, emociones, memoria de trabajo\u2026 La existencia del sistema 1 radica en la necesidad de nuestro cerebro de ahorrar energ\u00eda. Ser\u00eda agotador analizar racionalmente cada componente de cada decisi\u00f3n que tomamos a lo largo del d\u00eda. El sistema 2 o pensamiento lento y reflexivo. Comporta procesos que requieren un razonamiento l\u00f3gico y anal\u00edtico. Esto precisa de un pensamiento consciente que conlleva mayor tiempo de reflexi\u00f3n. Por lo tanto, la toma de ciertas decisiones mediante el sistema 1 permite ahorrar tiempo y energ\u00eda. La rapidez de este pensamiento\u00a0se basa en\u00a0atajos mentales desarrollados a lo largo del tiempo en base a experiencias pasadas. Estos atajos se denominan heur\u00edsticos. Su funci\u00f3n es simplificar y filtrar la informaci\u00f3n que recibimos. Sin embargo, esta forma de proceder puede llevar a conclusiones err\u00f3neas o, lo que es lo mismo, sesgos cognitivos. HEUR\u00cdSTICOS Entre los heur\u00edsticos m\u00e1s destacados podemos encontrar los siguientes: Heur\u00edstico de representatividad.\u00a0Consiste en realizar juicios en funci\u00f3n de que ciertas situaciones se parezcan a otras. Esto es, juzgar la probabilidad de que una persona o cosa pertenezca a un grupo o categor\u00eda en base a la semejanza entre la persona y los miembros del grupo.\u00a0 Por ejemplo, si describimos a Pedro como una persona t\u00edmida, ordenada y detallista, \u00bfa qu\u00e9 pensamos que se puede dedicar? \u00bfSer\u00e1 granjero, piloto de avi\u00f3n o bibliotecario? Nuestro primer pensamiento se inclina hacia la opci\u00f3n de bibliotecario. Esto se debe a que la descripci\u00f3n de Pedro encaja mejor en la idea que tenemos sobre los bibliotecarios. Sin embargo, por estad\u00edstica, es m\u00e1s probable que Pedro sea granjero. Heur\u00edstico de anclaje y ajuste.\u00a0Consiste en emitir juicios basados en un valor inicial (ancla) que\u00a0se va ajustando hasta generar la respuesta final. Esta respuesta est\u00e1 sesgada hacia el valor inicial, ya que se asume que es relevante para el problema, siendo err\u00f3neo en muchas ocasiones.\u00a0 Por ejemplo, ante la pregunta \u00bfpiensas que en la cumbre del Everest el agua hierve a una temperatura mayor o menor de 10 grados? Aunque no tengamos ni idea, nuestra respuesta probablemente busque un valor que se ajuste a esos 10 grados, porque consideramos que se trata de una informaci\u00f3n relevante. Sin embargo, no tiene nada que ver, ya que la respuesta correcta es 69 grados. Si llegamos a formular la misma pregunta con otro valor que haga de ancla, igualmente la respuesta se ajustar\u00eda a ese nuevo valor. Heur\u00edstico de disponibilidad.\u00a0Se utiliza para determinar la probabilidad de que un suceso ocurra o no. Cuanto m\u00e1s accesible sea este suceso (u otro similar) en nuestra mente o m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil de recordar nos resulte, parecer\u00e1 m\u00e1s frecuente y probable.\u00a0 Por ejemplo, si preguntamos \u00bfes m\u00e1s probable morir por ataque de tibur\u00f3n o por impacto de una pieza que cae de un avi\u00f3n? Seguramente pensemos que es m\u00e1s probable el ataque de tibur\u00f3n, ya que nos resulta m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil de recordar porque son m\u00e1s impactantes y aparecen con mayor frecuencia en los medios. Sin embargo, la probabilidad de morir golpeado por una parte de un avi\u00f3n es 30 veces mayor. SESGOS COGNITIVOS Hay innumerables categor\u00edas y tipos de sesgos, as\u00ed que vamos a hacer un repaso sobre algunos de ellos: Efecto halo. Es la capacidad que tenemos para modificar la percepci\u00f3n de una persona o cosa extrapolando una cualidad espec\u00edfica. Es decir, si una persona o elemento tiene atractivo visual, autom\u00e1ticamente le atribuimos caracter\u00edsticas positivas. Y viceversa. Por ejemplo, si vemos una persona con muchos tatuajes y piercings, \u00bfqu\u00e9 pensamos sobre ella? \u00bfQu\u00e9 trabajo creemos que tiene? \u00bfC\u00f3mo pensamos que es su car\u00e1cter? \u00bfY su vida familiar?\u00a0Con esa descripci\u00f3n, nos creamos una imagen en la cabeza que nos ayuda a responder a esas preguntas, pero no tiene por qu\u00e9 coincidir con la realidad. Efecto Forer.\u00a0Es el fen\u00f3meno por el cual la gente se siente identificada con descripciones o rasgos personales pensando que les definen, pero en realidad son generales y poco espec\u00edficos. Se sienten identificados porque le aplican un significado subjetivo y as\u00ed lo perciben como algo personal. Esta es la base de los hor\u00f3scopos. Efecto Bandwagon o de arrastre. Se trata de la tendencia a hacer o creer algo por el hecho de que otras personas as\u00ed lo creen o lo hacen. Es el poder del pensamiento en grupo. Un claro ejemplo es el experimento de Asch, que pretend\u00eda demostrar c\u00f3mo los individuos alteran sus respuestas o comportamientos para hacerlos encajar con los de la mayor\u00eda. Se someti\u00f3 a un grupo de personas a una serie de preguntas sencillas. Entre ellas estaban decidir cu\u00e1l de las l\u00edneas era m\u00e1s larga o cu\u00e1l de ellas coincid\u00eda con la de referencia: En este grupo de personas, todos conoc\u00edan la finalidad del experimento salvo uno. Al principio, para disimular, todas las respuestas que se daban eran correctas, pero seg\u00fan pasaban las preguntas los sujetos iban respondiendo err\u00f3neamente (siendo todos conscientes de ello, salvo uno). El resultado fue que, en base al efecto de arrastre, el \u00fanico sujeto real del experimento, termin\u00f3 por adecuar sus respuestas a las de la mayor\u00eda, a\u00fan sabiendo que no eran correctas. Efecto de percepci\u00f3n ambiental. El ambiente tiene una gran influencia en el comportamiento de las personas. En un ambiente ca\u00f3tico, deteriorado y sucio, las personas tienden a ser m\u00e1s inc\u00edvicas y ca\u00f3ticas, llegando incluso a cometer acciones vand\u00e1licas o delictivas. Un ejemplo interesante es la teor\u00eda de las ventanas rotas, un experimento llevado a","og_url":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristics-and-biases\/","og_site_name":"Geotelecom","article_published_time":"2020-03-18T15:28:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-16T15:23:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":987,"url":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Neuromarketing: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 nuestro cerebro nos enga\u00f1a?","datePublished":"2020-03-18T15:28:08+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-16T15:23:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/"},"wordCount":1473,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg","keywords":["neuromarketing"],"articleSection":["Marketing Online"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/","url":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/","name":"Neuromarketing: Why does our brain deceive us? - Geotelecom","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg","datePublished":"2020-03-18T15:28:08+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-16T15:23:34+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/brain-2062055_1920.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/blog\/neuromarketing-heuristicos-y-sesgos\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Neuromarketing: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 nuestro cerebro nos enga\u00f1a?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/","name":"Geotelecom","description":"Digital Marketing Agency","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/blog\/author\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5815"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5816,"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5815\/revisions\/5816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geotelecom.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}