Glossary / Lexicon

Error management theory refers to the idea that both men and women seek to minimize the most costly type of error, but that men’s and women’s goals, and hence worst errors, differ.

Error management theory is a psychological framework that proposes that in situations where mistakes or errors can occur, natural selection has favored strategies that minimize the cost of errors, rather than maximizing overall accuracy. The theory suggests that humans have evolved to be biased toward making certain types of errors over others, depending on the costs associated with each type of error in specific contexts.

For example, in situations where the cost of missing a signal is higher than detecting a false signal, humans are more likely to be biased towards false positives, whereas in situations where the cost of a false signal is higher than missing a signal, humans are more likely to be biased towards false negatives.

Error management theory has been applied to a wide range of areas within psychology, including social cognition, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Some examples of the applications of error management theory include:

• In the context of mate selection, error management theory suggests that men are biased towards overperceiving sexual interest from women, while women are biased towards underperceiving sexual interest from men. This bias can be seen as an adaptive strategy to avoid missing potential mating opportunities while minimizing the risk of making a social or sexual mistake.
• In the context of social influence, error management theory suggests that people are more likely to follow the opinions of individuals who are perceived to be high in status or competence, even if their opinions are not objectively correct. This is because following the opinions of high-status individuals can help minimize the risk of making an error in judgment or decision-making.
• In the context of medical diagnosis, error management theory suggests that doctors may be biased towards overdiagnosing rare conditions, even if the symptoms are not entirely consistent with the condition, as a way to avoid missing a potentially life-threatening diagnosis.

Overall, error management theory provides a useful framework for understanding the cognitive biases and heuristics that underlie decision-making and judgment, and can help explain why humans sometimes make errors even when they are trying to be as accurate as possible.