Definitionv1DF-004
WYSIATI
the cognitive bias where people treat available information as complete and determine confidence based on the coherence of the available story rather than the quantity or quality of supporting evidence, with the system that would detect gaps being the same system that has the gaps
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely captures the meaning of WYSIATI by identifying its core mechanism (treating available info as complete), its consequences (confidence based on coherence not quantity), and its fundamental limitation (self-detection problem). It distinguishes this from simple memory limitations by emphasizing the systematic bias in confidence formation.