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Why do fewer missed signals sometimes mean more false alarms?

An uncertain signal creates two possible mistakes: overlooking something real or reacting to something that is not there. Lowering the threshold for saying “yes” can reduce misses while increasing false alarms. It changes the decision rule, without necessarily improving the underlying information.

4–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • How might different consequences change the threshold someone chooses?
  • What would better information change that a lower threshold cannot?

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Psychology

Can an option nobody wants change what people choose?

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5–7 min

Can an option nobody wants change what people choose?

Psychology5–7 minChoosing between two offers can feel different when a third appears beside them. A decoy is less attractive than one option on the relevant features, but its presence does not reliably change every decision.

How can you miss something that is right in front of you?

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Psychology

Can a question change what someone remembers?

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3–7 min

Can a question change what someone remembers?

Psychology3–7 minA question can ask for a memory while also suggesting what might have happened. Research on eyewitness reports separates what someone originally saw from information introduced afterward, making wording part of the evidence problem.

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