Watch for
Feeling that letting something bad happen is more defensible than causing it actively.
Decision & ChoiceBias #83
Omission Bias
We judge harmful inactions as less bad than harmful actions.
The tendency to judge harmful actions as worse or less moral than equally harmful inactions because actively causing harm feels more blameworthy than passively allowing it.
Why it matters: Important in medical ethics and legal judgments. Explains why non-intervention is often favoured.
Try this
Evaluate outcomes not actions versus inactions when assessing responsibility.
Real-world example
A doctor who fails to vaccinate (omission causing illness) is judged less harshly than one who administers a treatment that causes the same illness.
Key researchers
Jonathan Baron, Ilana Ritov
First described in 1988
Psychological mechanism
Causal responsibility asymmetry. Active causation is more salient and direct making the agent feel more responsible. Omission allows the causal chain to feel distributed or natural which reduces perceived blame.
Seminal research
Ilana Ritov and Jonathan Baron (1990), "Reluctance to vaccinate: Omission bias and ambiguity."
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 ResearchRitov and Baron (1990) — Omission bias
EducationalAPA Dictionary entry