Watch for
Feeling the need to do something even when the best choice is to wait.
Decision & ChoiceBias #84
Action Bias
We prefer doing something over doing nothing.
The preference for taking action rather than remaining passive even when action is useless or counterproductive.
Why it matters: Studied in sports psychology especially goalkeepers penalty-saving behaviour.
Try this
Ask whether action actually improves outcomes or just makes you feel better.
Real-world example
A football goalkeeper who dives unnecessarily for a penalty because standing still feels like giving up even though staying centered would save more shots.
Key researchers
Michael Bar-Eli
First described in 2007
Psychological mechanism
Social evaluation and regret anticipation. Acting feels more agentic and socially valued than inaction. The potential regret of acting poorly feels more manageable than the regret of failing to act.
Seminal research
Michael Bar-Eli, Ofer H. Azar, Ilana Ritov, and Yael Keidar-Levin (2007), "Action bias among elite soccer goalkeepers."
Related Biases
Debrief
Biases are not character flaws. They are recurring patterns in how minds compress uncertainty, save energy, and narrate reality. Once you recognise the pattern, you can slow the decision down, test the assumption, and make space for a better explanation.
Sources
Original ResearchBar-Eli et al. (2007) — Action bias in goalkeepers
EducationalAPA Dictionary entry