Teaching medical students, psychiatric residents, and fellows about cognitive biases: Lunch a go–go

Abstract

Finding ways to make abstract and often obtuse concepts understandable to students, interns, residents, and fellows is a crucial pedagogical task. Explaining these principles and practices via personal narratives may increase students’ engagement with the material. Accordingly, in this personal essay, I present a personal story about a lunch date with my father that illustrates the power of the confirmation and selective attention biases as well as these concepts’ clinical applicability. Several elements of the lunch a go-go narrative are used to specifically explicate teaching points about cognitive biases and their role in people’s inner lives.

Keywords:

• Behavioural science
• child health
• learning outcomes

Disclosure statement

Book Royalties: Springer, Guilford, John Wiley, Routledge, Professional Resource Press.

Speaking: Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert D. Friedberg

Robert D. Friedberg, PhD, ABPP is a Professor and Head of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Emphasis Area at Palo Alto University.