Error management theory

Error management theory (EMT) is an extensive theory of perception and cognition biases created by David Buss and Martie Haselton. How humans think and make decisions using heuristics and biases may be embedded into the human brain. As the Ebbinghaus–Titchener circles illustrate, a person's view of which of the (orange) centre circles is bigger is subjective, and can cause a misinterpretation of reality. That is to say, both circles are the same size but each person may interpret the information presented differently depending on which bias they rely on to make the decision.

Various biases in thinking and decision-making have been highlighted by Daniel Kahneman and have been shown to cause cognitive errors in psychological and economic decisions. Cognitive biases in error management theory refer to biases and heuristics that have survived evolutionary history, because they hold some benefits towards reproductive success. Based on Darwinian principles those that "out mate" others have a greater chance of successfully producing offspring. According to this theory, when there are differences in costs of errors made under conditions of uncertainty, selection favours "adaptive biases". Humans are animals, and evolution charts their passage from single celled organisms to the media and technology-consuming organisms of today. These adaption biases ensure that less costly survival or reproductive errors will be committed.

Error management theory asserts that evolved mind-reading agencies will be biased to produce more of one type of inferential error than another. These mind-reading biases have been further researched in terms of the mating world. Error management theory provides a clear explanation for the discovery that men have a tendency to perceive women as having greater sexual interest in them than is present, if they smile or touch them, and females have a tendency to underplay a man's interest in them, even if it is quite strong. This is based on commitment scepticism. The theory has been much replicated, but the authors are still testing and refining it. Newer research indicates exceptions as well as gender differences may be significant to the effect, such as postmenopausal effects, the possible projection of sexual and commitment self-interest, and other differences including unrestricted sociosexuality.

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