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PubMed Search Filters

How was the Cognitive Biases filter developed?

Cognitive biases

We tend to think of "implicit biases" as the catch-all phrase, but it is only one aspect of "cognitive biases". Cognitive biases is a very broad concept and includes implicit biases, stereotypes, "isms", and much more.

The comprehensive search in the following box was developed using The Cognitive Bias Codex (jpg) to capture various types of biases. The terms were added in alphabetical order to the search string using the appropriate syntax for each database to which it has been adapted. 

The following article is a scoping review that looks at methods for reducing cognitive biases in a specific healthcare profession. This scoping review did NOT use the search filter but it also helped inform the search filter:

  • Shlonsky A, Featherston R, Galvin KL, Vogel AP, Granger CL, Lewis C, Luong ML, Downie LE. Interventions to Mitigate Cognitive Biases in the Decision Making of Eye Care Professionals: A Systematic Review. Optom Vis Sci. 2019 Nov;96(11):818-824. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001445. PMID: 31664015 (Requires Pitt login)

Cognitive/implicit biases search string

PubMed search filter for ALL terms for cognitive biases: Update 14 February 2024

("Ageism"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Bias, Implicit"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Homophobia"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Prejudice"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Race Factors"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Racism"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Stereotyping"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Systemic Racism"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Sexism"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Weight Prejudice"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Xenophobia"[MeSH:noexp] OR "age bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "age biases"[TIAB:~0] OR Ageism[TIAB] OR "Anchoring bias"[TIAB:~3] OR "Anchoring biases"[TIAB:~3] OR "ascertainment bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "ascertainment biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "attentional bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "attentional biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "attribution error"[TIAB:~0] OR "attribution errors"[TIAB:~0] OR "attributional error"[TIAB:~0] OR "attributional errors"[TIAB:~0] OR "Availability bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "Availability biases"[TIAB:~0] OR ("base rate"[TIAB:~0] AND "rate neglect"[TIAB:~0]) OR "belief bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "belief biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "belief perseverance"[TIAB:~0] OR "blind spot"[TIAB:~0] OR ("bounded rationality"[TIAB:~0]  AND (bias[TIAB] OR biases[TIAB])) OR "cognitive bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "cognitive biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "coherence bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "coherence biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "confirmation bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "confirmation biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "conjunction fallacies"[TIAB:~0] OR "conjunction fallacy"[TIAB:~0] OR "conservatism bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "conservatism biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "diagnostic momentum"[TIAB:~0] OR "diagnostic overshadowing"[TIAB:~0] OR "dread risk"[TIAB:~0] OR "ego bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "ego biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "emotional contagion"[TIAB:~0] OR "examiner bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "examiner biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "experimenter bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "experimenter biases"[TIAB:~0] OR ("faulty causal"[TIAB:~0] AND "causal model"[TIAB:~0]) OR "framing effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "framing effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "gambler’s fallacy"[TIAB:~0] OR "gender bias"[TIAB:~1] OR "gender biases"[TIAB:~1] OR "halo effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "halo effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "hidden bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "hidden biases"[TIAB:~0] OR Homophobia[TIAB] OR Homophobic[TIAB] OR "implicit bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit prejudice"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit prejudices"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit stereotype"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit stereotypes"[TIAB:~0] OR "Inappropriate selectivity"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential error"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential errors"[TIAB:~0] OR "labeling bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "labeling biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "labelling bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "labelling biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "loss aversion"[TIAB:~0] OR "multiple alternatives"[TIAB:~0] OR "narrative fallacies"[TIAB:~0] OR "narrative fallacy"[TIAB:~0] OR "omission bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimism bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimism biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimistic bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimistic biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "order bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "order biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "order effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "order effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "ostrich effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "outcome bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "outcome biases"[TIAB:~0] OR overconfidence[TIAB] OR ("post hoc"[TIAB:~0] AND "hoc fallacy"[TIAB:~0]) OR "premature closure"[TIAB:~0] OR "primacy effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "primacy effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "race bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "race biased"[TIAB:~0] OR "race biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "racial bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "racial biases"[TIAB:~0] OR Racism[TIAB] OR "representative heuristic"[TIAB:~2] OR "representative heuristics"[TIAB:~2] OR "representativeness bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "representativeness biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "retrospect bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "retrospect biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "search satisfying"[TIAB:~0] OR "sex biased"[TIAB:~1] OR "sex biases"[TIAB:~1] OR Sexism[TIAB] OR "socioeconomic bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "socioeconomic biases"[TIAB:~0] OR stereotyp*[TIAB] OR "subconscious bias"[tiab:~1] OR  "subconscious biases"[tiab:~1] OR "subconsciously biased"[tiab:~1] OR "sunk cost"[TIAB:~0] OR "sunk costs"[TIAB:~0] OR "technological imperative"[TIAB:~0] OR "thinking bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "thinking biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "unconscious bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "unconscious biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "unpacking principle"[TIAB:~0] OR "visceral bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "vocation bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "vocation biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "Weight bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "Weight biased"[TIAB:~0] OR "Weight biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "Weight Prejudice"[TIAB:~0] OR ("status quo"[TIAB:~0] AND "quo bias"[TIAB:~0]) OR ("worst case"[TIAB:~0] AND "case scenario"[TIAB:~0]) OR Xenophobia[TIAB])

Example searches

Example searches

Cognitive bias: Racial bias with an example focusing on Blacks/African Americans

The search string below has removed non-relevant terms from the broader "cognitive biases" filter above by testing each pair of terms in PubMed in combination with terms for Blacks/African Americans. The search removes terms related to ageism, sexism, weight prejudice, homosexuality.

("Black or African American"[Mesh:NoExp] OR Minority Groups[Mesh:NoExp] OR Racial Groups[Mesh:NoExp] OR "African American"[TIAB:~1] OR "African Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR "African ancestry"[TIAB:~1] OR "Black American"[TIAB:~1] OR "Black Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR Blacks[TIAB] OR minorities[tiab] OR minority[tiab] OR race[tiab] OR racial[tiab]) NOT ((africa[MESH] OR asia[MESH] OR australia[MESH] OR canada[MESH] OR central america[mesh] OR europe[MESH] OR Mexico[MESH] OR south america[MESH]) NOT (north america[MeSH:noexp] OR united states[MESH])) AND ("Bias, Implicit"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Prejudice"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Racism"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Stereotyping"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Systemic Racism"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Anchoring bias"[TIAB:~3] OR "Anchoring biases"[TIAB:~3] OR "ascertainment bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "ascertainment biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "attentional bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "attentional biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "attribution error"[TIAB:~0] OR "attribution errors"[TIAB:~0] OR "attributional error"[TIAB:~0] OR "attributional errors"[TIAB:~0] OR "Availability bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "Availability biases"[TIAB:~0] OR ("base rate"[TIAB:~0] AND "rate neglect"[TIAB:~0]) OR "belief perseverance"[TIAB:~0] OR "blind spot"[TIAB:~0] OR "cognitive bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "cognitive biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "coherence bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "coherence biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "confirmation bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "confirmation biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "conjunction fallacies"[TIAB:~0] OR "conjunction fallacy"[TIAB:~0] OR "conservatism bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "conservatism biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "consistency effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "diagnostic momentum"[TIAB:~0] OR "diagnostic overshadowing"[TIAB:~0] OR "dread risk"[TIAB:~0] OR "ego bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "ego biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "emotional contagion"[TIAB:~0] OR "examiner bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "examiner biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "expectancy effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "experimenter bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "experimenter biases"[TIAB:~0] OR ("faulty causal"[TIAB:~0] AND ("causal model"[TIAB:~0] OR "causal models"[TIAB:~0])) OR "framing effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "framing effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "gambler’s fallacy"[TIAB:~0] OR "gender bias"[TIAB:~1] OR "gender biases"[TIAB:~1] OR "halo effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "hidden bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "hidden biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit prejudice"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit prejudices"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit stereotype"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit stereotypes"[TIAB:~0] OR "Inappropriate selectivity"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential error"[TIAB:~0] OR "inferential errors"[TIAB:~0] OR "labeling bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "labeling biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "labelling bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "labelling biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "loss aversion"[TIAB:~0] OR "multiple alternatives"[TIAB:~0] OR "narrative fallacies"[TIAB:~0] OR "narrative fallacy"[TIAB:~0] OR "omission bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "omission biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimism bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimism biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimistic bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "optimistic biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "order bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "order biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "order effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "order effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "ostrich effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "outcome bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "outcome biases"[TIAB:~0] OR overconfidence[TIAB] OR ("post hoc"[TIAB:~0] AND "hoc fallacy"[TIAB:~0]) OR ("premature closure"[TIAB:~0] AND (bias[tiab] OR biases[TIAB])) OR "primacy effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "primacy effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "race bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "race biased"[TIAB:~0] OR "race biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency effect"[TIAB:~0] OR "recency effects"[TIAB:~0] OR "racial bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "racial biases"[TIAB:~0] OR Racism[TIAB] OR "representative heuristic"[TIAB] OR "representative heuristics"[TIAB] OR "representativeness bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "representativeness biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "retrospect bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "retrospect biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "search satisfying"[TIAB:~0] OR stereotyp*[TIAB] OR "subconscious bias"[tiab:~1] OR  "subconscious biases"[tiab:~1] OR "subconsciously biased"[tiab:~1] OR "sunk cost"[TIAB:~0] OR "sunk costs"[TIAB:~0] OR "technological imperative"[TIAB:~0] OR "thinking bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "thinking biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "unconscious bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "unconscious biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "unpacking principle"[TIAB:~0] OR "visceral bias"[TIAB:~0] OR ("status quo"[TIAB:~0] AND "quo bias"[TIAB:~0]) OR ("worst case"[TIAB:~0] AND "case scenario"[TIAB:~0]))


Search for interventions

This is NOT a comprehensive search but it will enable you to view a sample of interventions with different populations including patients, healthcare providers, and students. The search is designed to look for the term "intervention" in the TITLE only.

Search in PubMed Central

intervention*[title] AND (Cognitive Bias*[TITLE] OR Cognitive Bias*[ABSTRACT] OR implicit bias*[TITLE] OR implicit bias*[ABSTRACT] OR implicit prejudice*[TITLE] OR implicit stereotype*[TITLE] OR implicit prejudice*[ABSTRACT] OR implicit stereotype*[ABSTRACT])

Search in PubMed

intervention*[title] AND (Cognitive Bias*[TIAB] OR implicit bias*[TIAB] OR implicit prejudice*[TIAB] OR implicit stereotype*[TIAB])


Search for systematic/scoping reviews

This is NOT a comprehensive search but it will enable you to view a sample of reviews with different populations including patients, healthcare providers, and students.

Search in PubMed Central

(systematic[title] OR scoping[title]) AND (Cognitive Bias*[TITLE] OR Cognitive Bias*[ABSTRACT] OR implicit bias*[TITLE] OR implicit bias*[ABSTRACT] OR implicit prejudice*[TITLE] OR implicit stereotype*[TITLE] OR implicit prejudice*[ABSTRACT] OR implicit stereotype*[ABSTRACT]) 

Search in PubMed

(systematic[TI] OR scoping[TI])  AND ("cognitive bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "cognitive biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit bias"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit biases"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit prejudice"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit prejudices"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit stereotype"[TIAB:~0] OR "implicit stereotypes"[TIAB:~0])