Bird augury works as a randomization device countering cognitive and copying biases

Evidence

Reducing the risks posed by these cognitive and decision-making biases, the Kantu rely on a system of bird augury that effectively randomizes their choices for locating garden plots, which helps them avoid catastrophic crop failures. The results of divination depend not only on seeing a particular bird species in a particular location, but also on what type of call the bird makes (one type of call may be favorable, and another unfavorable). — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 347

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s coercion-vulnerability framework: culturally evolved institutions can serve as randomness to break conformist-copying cascades — a possible protective mechanism worth comparing. — connects to: Kantus exhibit a success-biased copying bias that produces counterproductive plot clustering — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 346; Unlearning bias works through vigilant, repeatable acts of catching automatic judgments; Successful craft choices can be nonintuitive, favoring blind copying over reasoning — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 351 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Randomizing positions and identifiers cancels room standing-wave biases in double-blind tests #exemplifies (0.93) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 148
• Panel composition influences outcomes, so circuits randomize judge assignment #exemplifies (0.90) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 366
• Randomizing identifiers, positions, and music prevents experimenter bias in listening tests #expands (0.88)
• Successful craft choices can be nonintuitive, favoring blind copying over reasoning #corroborates (0.82) — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 351
• A biased mediator can be accepted when clue-rich situations block focal points #expands (0.76) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 236
• Unlearning bias works through vigilant, repeatable acts of catching automatic judgments #qualifies (0.75)
• Human minds carry epistemic-vigilance biases against being duped #expands (0.74)
• Overimitation grows with the ability to model others’ minds #complicates (0.73) — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 950
• Implicit biases can be consciously overridden through deliberate attention #corroborates (0.72) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 1362