Empathos

Thinking Traps Assessment

The Thinking Traps Assessment looks at common cognitive biases, the mental shortcuts that can quietly distort judgment. It covers patterns such as confirmation bias, anchoring, the availability heuristic, the bandwagon effect and attribution errors. 44 items; about 10 minutes.

Please rate how often you find yourself engaging in each thinking pattern.
Question 1 of 44
When researching a topic you feel strongly about, do you tend to seek sources that support your existing view?
Question 2 of 44
Do you find yourself dismissing information that contradicts your beliefs?
Question 3 of 44
How often do you actively look for evidence that challenges your opinions?
Question 4 of 44
When making estimates, do you find your answer influenced by the first number you consider?
Question 5 of 44
Do you have difficulty changing your initial impression of someone or something?
Question 6 of 44
How much do first impressions affect your final decisions?
Question 7 of 44
Do you judge how common something is based on how easily you can think of examples?
Question 8 of 44
Are you more concerned about risks you've recently heard about in the news?
Question 9 of 44
Do vivid stories influence your perception of how likely events are to occur?
Question 10 of 44
Have you ever continued a project long after realizing it was unlikely to succeed?
Question 11 of 44
Do you find it difficult to abandon something you've already invested significant resources in?
Question 12 of 44
When facing a decision to continue or stop, do you primarily consider future potential over past investments?
Question 13 of 44
Compared to others, how would you rate your expertise in areas you're learning?
Question 14 of 44
How confident are you in your ability to complete tasks in unfamiliar domains?
Question 15 of 44
Do you feel you understand complex topics after brief exposure to them?
Question 16 of 44
Do you find yourself more drawn to options framed as gains rather than avoiding losses?
Question 17 of 44
Does the way information is worded significantly affect your decisions?
Question 18 of 44
Are you aware of how presentation can influence your choices?
Question 19 of 44
Do you tend to hold onto losing investments longer than you should?
Question 20 of 44
When making decisions, do you spend more mental energy considering potential losses?
Question 21 of 44
After events happen, do you often feel you knew it all along?
Question 22 of 44
Do you tend to remember being more certain about outcomes than you actually were?
Question 23 of 44
How often do you claim you predicted something that surprised others?
Question 24 of 44
Do you typically underestimate how long tasks will take to complete?
Question 25 of 44
How often do your projects finish later than originally planned?
Question 26 of 44
Do you consider potential obstacles when estimating completion times?
Question 27 of 44
Do you make decisions based on how similar something is to your expectations?
Question 28 of 44
How often do you ignore statistical information in favor of specific examples?
Question 29 of 44
Do you tend to generalize from small samples or vivid cases?
Question 30 of 44
Do you find yourself assuming someone is competent based on their appearance?
Question 31 of 44
Does liking one aspect of something make you rate other aspects more positively?
Question 32 of 44
How much do first impressions influence your overall judgment of people?
Question 33 of 44
When someone makes a mistake, do you first consider their character rather than the situation?
Question 34 of 44
Do you assume people's actions reflect their true personality?
Question 35 of 44
How often do you consider external factors before judging someone's behavior?
Question 36 of 44
Do you find yourself agreeing with popular opinions even when unsure?
Question 37 of 44
How much does knowing others' choices influence your own decisions?
Question 38 of 44
Do you feel pressure to conform to group thinking?
Question 39 of 44
Do you assume most people share your opinions on important issues?
Question 40 of 44
How surprised are you when others disagree with your viewpoints?
Question 41 of 44
Do you expect others to make similar choices to yours in similar situations?
Question 42 of 44
Do you explain your mistakes differently than others' mistakes?
Question 43 of 44
When you succeed, do you credit personal ability more than circumstances?
Question 44 of 44
Do you give yourself more benefit of the doubt than you give others?

Your responses are confidential.

Thank you

Your assessment has been recorded.

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© 2026 Nora Markarian, LMHC, NCC — Empathos Mental Health Counseling
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