How your behaviour is shaped by what happens in Paris
The terrible incident in Paris, where a coordinated attack led to significant loss of life and injury, has been extensively reported and commented upon. Whether you like it or not, it’s effects reach right around the world, and unconsciously impact many people’s behaviours and decision making. Here’s how it is probably making an impact on you, whether you want it to or not. The risk / control equation: People are notoriously bad at assessing risk. More than anything, a person’s perception of control modifies how much ‘risk’ they perceive. For example, an Australian was 5 times more likely to die in a car accident, than a Parisian was to die in the recent terrorist incident. However, we all have a ‘competency bias’ and believe that when we have control ( as we often believe when we are driving) our perception of risk is reduced. A terrorist attack is designed to
