Seven (plus/minus two) ways your brain screws you up

"Cognitive bias" is a well-known psychological effect often called up to explain - or excuse - a person's behaviour. Although one of the most familiar psychological concepts around, it's definitely not the only one that affects a person's thinking and acting.
This talk will guide you through a compilation of what we think are the most relevant psychological concepts when working with agile Teams, enabling you and your team to shift around the most common pitfalls we have experienced, and fell into our self, so far.


Target Audience: Developers, Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, Project Leaders, Decision Makers
Prerequisites: None
Level: Introductory

Extended Abstract
"Cognitive bias" is a well-known psychological effect often called up to explain - or excuse - a person's behaviour. Although one of the most familiar psychological concepts around, it's definitely not the only one that affects a person's thinking and acting.
This talk will focus on some cognitive biases and some lesser-known psychological concepts that play a role in influencing how we think and work, as well as correcting misinformation about a few buzzwords. In their inimitable way, Jasmine and Joseph will go beyond the hype to separate facts from the fiction surrounding some of the most popular psychological memes floating around the Agile world. From fundamental attribution error over linguistic priming to the latest research on the Dunning-Kruger effect, we'll discuss the meanings and relevance of these concepts. Most phenomena chosen have a direct relationship to Agile work, but a few have been included simply because they're interesting or funny.
This talk will guide you through a compilation of what we think are the most relevant psychological concepts when working with agile Teams. You will leave the talk not only with theoretical knowledge about those concepts but also with first-hand tips and tricks how to avoid common pitfalls.