Mitigating cognitive biases in higher education contexts through a brief video-based intervention: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Cognitive biases present significant challenges in higher education, yet existing mitigation strategies are often resource-intensive or lack scalability. This study introduces and evaluates a novel, scalable intervention using brief, scenario-based videos to reduce cognitive biases that may influence self-perceptions, relationships, and decision-making in higher education contexts. We conducted a cross-national experiment (N = 1038) with teachers and learners, targeting 21 distinct biases. Participants were randomly assigned to a control or experimental condition. Both groups viewed a video depicting a bias-eliciting scenario; the experimental group was then shown an additional "debiasing" segment containing supplemental, context-altering information. Results showed the debiasing videos significantly reduced biased decisions. This effect was substantially stronger for teachers (Cohen's d = 0.51) than for learners (d = 0.11). For students, the intervention was effective only when participants viewed the videos with subtitles in their native language. Teachers, but not learners, also demonstrated a "transfer" effect, showing reduced bias in subsequent, unrelated tasks, after receiving the debiasing intervention. These findings indicate that brief, narrative-based micro-interventions are a promising and scalable tool for cognitive bias mitigation. However, their effectiveness is moderated by audience characteristics, like role as a teacher or a student, and the language of delivery, underscoring the need for context-sensitive design and implementation.