Did you know you experience cognitive bias daily? For example, what’s your favorite color? Let’s pretend it’s purple. Without even hesitating, you tell me as much. It’s been purple for as long as you can remember (even if you don’t recall exactly why).
That’s an example of cognitive bias, a pattern of thinking that occurs when your brain takes a shortcut based on a past experience, belief, or feeling. Because purple felt familiar to you, you chose that color—even if you’ve recently found yourself enamored with teal or navy.
Aside from helping us come up with quick and easy conclusions about our favorite color, how else does cognitive bias affect our lives? Let’s immerse ourselves in the realm of cognitive bias, from what it is to how it impacts us and how we can make a conscious effort to reduce it in our daily lives.
Cognitive bias refers to the systematic errors in thinking that occur when the brain processes vast amounts of information. The human brain is a powerful anomaly. It can process 11 million bits of information every second. Our conscious minds, however, can only keep up with 40 to 50 pieces of information each second. Though significantly less than 11 million, that’s still an impressive amount of information to juggle at any given moment.
To help us keep up with all the bits and pieces, our brains occasionally take cognitive shortcuts to simplify information processing. The result? Cognitive biases, which serve as a quick way for your mind to make judgments based on your past experiences. So, instead of contemplating what your favorite color may be based on how you’ve decorated your home recently or the color you can’t seem to get enough of in your wardrobe, you go with the easy answer—the cognitive bias.
Cognitive bias refers to the systematic errors in thinking that occur when the brain processes vast amounts of information. Since your brain is consciously computing 40 to 50 items per second, it’s challenging to contemplate every single option 100% of the time, even when asked the simplest of questions. Even with an endless supply of information available to you at the swipe of a finger, sometimes it’s easier to take advantage of mental shortcuts.
Some of the most common causes of cognitive bias include:
Cognitive bias affects more than just our go-to responses for our favorite color. Below, we highlight some of the typical effects that cognitive biases can have on our lives:
While not all cognitive biases have negative consequences, it’s helpful to be aware of any biases you have so you can overcome them with these tips:
Curious how cognitive bias shows up in everyday life or how to keep it in check? Let’s recap the core concepts.
Your interest in the human mind and behavior doesn’t have to end with cognitive bias. With a BA in psychology, you can take your fascination (and career) to the next level. With UTPB’s online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, you’ll gain a broad foundation of psychological science knowledge and written communication and research skills that can jump-start your career in a variety of industries.
Our program is ranked among the Most Affordable Online Psychology Degree by STEPS and as one of the Top Online Bachelor of Psychology Degree Programs by TopCounselingSchools.org. If you’re ready to start your next chapter, apply today!
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/14/891140598/understanding-unconscious-bias
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cognitive-bias/
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The History of Spanish Language: From Latin Roots to a Global Reach
In the United States, more than 41 million people speak Spanish as their first language. It’s also the most studied language in the country, with 70% of K-12 students choosing Spanish to fulfill their foreign language requirement.
But where did this widely spoken language originate, and how did it grow into the global phenomenon it is today? In this article, we’ll explore the history of Spanish language, including its history, evolution, and cultural significance—along with where you can sharpen your own Spanish fluency and appreciation for Spanish-speaking cultures.
The Spanish language emerged from the Iberian Peninsula, the section of the European continent occupied by modern day Spain, Portugal, and the southernmost part of France. Like other Romance languages, Spanish traces its roots to Rome—not for its “romantic” qualities, but because it evolved from Latin.
Specifically, it developed from Vulgar Latin, the spoken form used by common people, rather than Classical Latin, the formal version seen in the works of Virgil, Ovid, and Cicero. The modern form of Spanish can be traced to the northern coastal region of Spain in the ninth century.
In the centuries after the modern Spanish language developed, it spread to the Americas and elsewhere through exploration, colonization, immigration, and religious missions. It continued to develop into different dialects, with Castilian being the variety most spoken today.
Spanish is now spoken in at least 20 countries on four continents, listed here by largest number of speakers to smallest:
As of 2023, the world is home to an estimated 360 million Spanish speakers, with more than a third of native speakers living in Mexico and only about 12% living in Spain.
Where did the Spanish language originate?
The Spanish language originated in the Iberian Peninsula, which is modern-day Spain, Portugal, and the southernmost part of France. It developed from Vulgar Latin, the spoken form of Latin used by common people, and its modern form can be traced to the northern coastal region of Spain in the ninth century.
How did Spanish become an international language?
In the centuries after its development, Spanish spread to the Americas and other parts of the world through exploration, colonization, immigration, and religious missions.
How many countries speak Spanish today?
Spanish is spoken in at least 20 countries across four continents: North America, South America, Europe, and Africa.
How many Spanish speakers are there in the world?
As of 2023, there are an estimated 360 million Spanish speakers worldwide.
Why are Romance languages called ‘Romance languages’?
Romance languages are named for their connection to Rome, not for their ‘romantic’ qualities, as they evolved from Latin.
If Spanish is already part of your life, work, or future goals, UTPB’s online graduate programs can help you build on it.
Sources:
https://www.sanjacinto.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1054403&type=d&pREC_ID=1351145
https://www.berlitz.com/blog/most-spoken-languages-world
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Spanish-language
https://www.worldatlas.com/peninsulas/iberian-peninsula.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/why-late-latin-was-called-vulgar-119475
https://www.statista.com/statistics/991020/number-native-spanish-speakers-country-worldwide
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Are we born with our personalities, or are we shaped by the world around us?
That question sits at the center of the nature vs. nurture debate. “Nature” refers to the traits we inherit through biology and genetics. “Nurture” refers to the influence of our environment, including family, culture, education, relationships, and life experiences.
For centuries, philosophers, scientists, and psychologists have debated which force matters more. Today, the answer is less “either/or” and more “both/and.” Put simply, our personalities are shaped by the interaction between our genes and our experiences.
Let’s take a closer look at the nature vs. nurture debate and what it can teach us about personality, behavior, and human development.
Nature and nurture both influence personality. Genetics can shape traits like temperament, intelligence, and mental health risk, while environment can affect behavior, emotional development, values, and coping skills. Most psychologists today see personality as the result of both forces working together.
When people talk about heredity, they almost exclusively refer to their physical traits. They might say, “I have my mother’s eyes” or “my father’s nose,” but the characteristics we inherit from our parents are more than skin deep.
Your chromosomes, composed of segments of DNA called genes, shape many of your traits. You have 23 pairs—one chromosome per pair from each parent.
Think of genes as blueprints, carrying instructions that determine your every biological trait, including the color of your hair, eyes, and skin. Moreover, your personality, intelligence, and mental health can also be attributed, at least in part, to your genetic makeup.
English philosopher John Locke compared the mind at birth to a tabula rasa, or blank slate, upon which our experiences imbue reason and knowledge. This is “nurture,” the idea that a child’s environment determines whom they turn out to be.
A report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) affirms that informed parents are more likely to have positive interactions with their children in ways that support healthy development. By showing warmth, being responsive, and promoting other evidence-based practices, parents can improve outcomes relating to their child’s emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social skills.
Conversely, children can experience devastating, long-term changes as a result of neglect and abuse, ranging from the development of antisocial behaviors to the stunting of their growing minds.
A person’s environment is most impactful during their early years, when their brain has yet to fully develop and their experiences are shaped entirely by their home life. There’s no doubt that nature plays a critical role in deciding the trajectory of our lives. The question is, how much of our behavior is inherited?
Nature and nurture often work together in everyday life. For example:
These examples show why many psychologists no longer see nature and nurture as opposing forces. Instead, they work together to shape personality, behavior, and development.
Scientists have taken a novel approach to testing the effects of heredity on personality: studying twins. Identical twins share the same genes, whereas fraternal twins share half of their genes, like other siblings.
By contrasting the traits of identical and fraternal twins, scientists have been able to separate the influences of nature and nurture on human behavior. In a meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits, researchers looked at over 50 years of twin studies, compiling evidence from over 2,000 publications reporting on a combined 17,804 traits and 14,558,903 twins.
They found that the heritability of human traits, including temperament and personality functions, is about 50%. To put it simply, half of our unique personalities can be attributed to heredity, or nature.
Has the revelation that genetics accounts for half of our mental and physical traits—and that both sides hold equal sway over our personalities—put an end to the nature versus nurture debate? Not quite.
This debate has proven more nuanced than previously thought, particularly with the revelation that genetically driven behaviors shape our environments in the same way our environments shape us.
For example, parents responding negatively to their child’s antisocial behaviors may end up reinforcing those same behaviors. Complicating matters further are epigenetic changes that switch genes on and off. Traumatic experiences, in particular, can be passed on from one generation to the next. Complex factors like these continue to stoke the flames of this age-old debate.
More than opposing ideas, nature and nurture describe entwined influences that alter and build upon one another. While some argue that nature carries more weight because our genes, as opposed to our experiences, are set in stone, this is exactly why nurture is such an important concept.
The family, society, and culture we’re born into are random, but not all environmental factors are beyond influence, and something as simple as reading bedtime stories to a child could make a world of difference in who they grow up to be.
If you’re interested in how genetics, environment, personality, and behavior shape who we become, UT Permian Basin’s online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology can help you explore those questions in greater depth.
The program provides foundational psychology knowledge in areas such as research methods, mental disorders, and the application of psychological principles in real-world settings. Courses are fully online and asynchronous, giving you the flexibility to study on your schedule while earning the same respected degree as on-campus students.
Ready to pursue your interest in psychology? Learn more about UTPB’s online BA in psychology program.
Sources:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/in-the-nature-nurture-war-nature-wins
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/19/do-your-genes-determine-your-entire-life
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/nature-vs-nurture
https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/genetics.aspx
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/long_term_consequences.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/epigenetics.htm
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When people think of history class, they might picture dusty textbooks, memorized dates, or a recurring nightmare of a multiple-choice question about the date of the Great Molasses Flood. (1919, for what it’s worth.)
But here’s what that reputation misses: History is one of the most practical subjects you can study. The skills it builds—critical thinking, research, writing, argumentation—are exactly what some employers say they can’t find enough of. And at the graduate level, a history degree can invite opportunities that might surprise you.
History is important because it explains how our society arrived at our current moment. Every political system, social norm, economic structure, and cultural tension playing out today has roots somewhere in the past. Understanding those roots gives you scope, context, and a serious advantage over people who don’t. You’re better equipped to make sense of the present and think clearly about what comes next.
Historians and historically trained thinkers have shaped public policy, legal arguments, journalism, education, and leadership at every level. The ability to look at a complex situation, trace how it developed, and form a clear perspective is rare and valuable. It’s also exactly what a history education teaches you.
History degrees have launched some pretty varied careers (and we’re not afraid to name names):
Graduate-level history study goes much deeper than the survey courses most people remember from undergrad. Instead of covering centuries in a semester, you’ll spend careful, considered time on historic moments and topics of consequence.
One week you’ll be reading primary sources and wrestling with competing interpretations. The next, you’ll build your own arguments from the evidence. It’s less “here’s what happened” and more “here’s why it matters—and what we still don’t fully understand.”
At UTPB, the online MA in history covers topics including:
That kind of focused, rigorous study builds skills that transfer directly to a wide range of careers. And that’s the question most prospective students want answered—what can you do with a history degree?
History degree jobs span a wider range than most people expect. Sure, a classic role as a history professor probably springs to mind first, but a master’s in history can take graduates down many different paths.
That’s because the degree signals a key message to employers: This person can read carefully, write clearly, think critically, and make a coherent argument. Those abilities show up again and again on the lists of skills employers are struggling to find.
Some common career paths for history graduates include:
A master’s degree also carries a real earnings advantage. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with master’s degrees had median weekly earnings of $1,840 in 2024, compared to $1,543 for bachelor’s degree holders. That’s a gap of about $300 a week, adding up to roughly $15,000 more per year.
If the careers, skills, and famous alumni above haven’t sold you yet, here’s the practical part: UTPB makes it genuinely easy to earn your graduate degree in history. The program is fully online and asynchronous, which means you complete coursework on your own schedule. No commuting, no rigid class times, and no choosing between your degree and your job.
A few things worth knowing about our online MA in history:
If you’ve already completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, you may be closer to earning your master’s than you think. Explore UTPB’s online MA in history to learn more about the program and how to apply.
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If you want to earn a degree faster without putting your life on pause, an accelerated online degree program may be worth a closer look.
An accelerated degree program is designed to help students complete coursework in a shorter time frame than a traditional program. Instead of longer semesters, you’ll move through condensed sessions that cover the same material in less time. At The University of Texas Permian Basin, you can complete some programs in as little as eight months, depending on the program and course load.
So, what does that actually look like for students?
Traditional college semesters often run about 15 weeks. Accelerated programs break that schedule into shorter sessions, which allows students to finish courses more quickly and keep moving toward graduation.
At UTPB, many fall, spring, and summer sessions include shorter course terms, with some lasting just eight weeks. That means students can make steady progress throughout the year while learning on a schedule that works for them.
For motivated students, that flexibility can make a major difference.
An accelerated online degree program is a real college experience that’s built for efficiency and flexibility.
Online students learn from experienced faculty, complete coursework remotely and move through class materials in a way that fits around work, family, and other responsibilities. Because many online courses are asynchronous, students can log in when it works best for them instead of rearranging everything around a fixed class time.
Online students at UTPB have access to many of the same support services available to on-campus students. That includes academic advising, tutoring, and writing assistance.
Students can also connect with classmates and instructors through discussion boards, assignments, and group work. And even though you’re using an online setting, there are still opportunities to ask questions, collaborate, and build connections.
In other words, accelerated doesn’t mean unsupported.
Ask yourself: If I can receive the same guidance, education, and degree from an accelerated online program, why anchor myself to a college campus?
You asked and we answered. Here are some of the most common inquiries about our accelerated online degree programs:
UTPB offers accelerated online programs across a variety of fields, including business, education, arts and sciences, health sciences, and engineering.
If you’re looking for a way to earn your degree faster while still receiving academic support and a respected credential, an accelerated online program could be the right next step.
Explore UTPB’s online programs and find the one that fits your goals.
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