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Master Cognitive Biases and Improve Your Critical Thinking (Udemy.com)

Upgrade Your Mindware! Master Cognitive Biases and Learn New Strategies to Improve the Quality of Your Thinking

4.5
34,953 reviews

Created by: Kevin deLaplante

Last updated September 2018

Our take

Based on the ratings of 34,953 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in September 2018. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short, lecture-only introduction to cognitive biases, built around four well-known ones: confirmation bias, pattern seeking, the anchoring effect and hindsight bias. The syllabus shows 50 lectures across 13 sections, about 2.5 hours in all, and a good chunk of that covers why companies buy bias training and what debiasing looks like in practice. Kevin deLaplante, a philosopher who has taught critical thinking at university level for twenty years, does the teaching. It suits curious beginners and workplace teams more than anyone who has studied the subject before.

Reviewers like how clear and well organized it is. Of 34,953 ratings, 17,890 are five stars and 13,106 are four. One student liked that it goes beyond a summary and shows how to spot and avoid biases, and another says it left them questioning their past decisions. The complaints are consistent. Some found it basic or surface level, one wanted a written copy of the slides, and one missed use cases and anything interactive. There are no quizzes or exercises. One reviewer also found an emotional story about an abused boy upsetting in a work setting.

The material was last updated in September 2018, but the topic does not date the way software does, so that matters less here. For a paid course this short, it is fair value as an overview with a few practical habits. If you already know the standard biases, expect it to feel thin. Think of it as a first step into the subject, not a full course in critical thinking.

Best forBusy professionals who want a short, plain-English intro to confirmation, anchoring and hindsight bias.
Skip it ifYou already know the standard biases, or you want quizzes, exercises and case work instead of lectures.

Pros

  • Short enough to finish in a weekend: 50 lectures and about 2.5 hours in total
  • Reviewers call it clear and well organized, and praise the examples it uses
  • Spends real time on debiasing strategies, not just naming biases
  • Needs no background, and the teaching comes from a longtime university philosophy instructor

Cons

  • Only four biases get their own section, and some reviewers call it basic or surface level
  • No quizzes, exercises or interactive work, and one reviewer wanted written slides
  • Last updated in 2018, and one emotional story upset a reviewer
Well structured, more practical approach with biases not just a summary. What to consider and not, how to approach and resolve/avoid.
Boris Bogdanov, a student

Open to true beginners with no background needed, though people who already know the field will find it basic.

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What you will learn

  • Understand what cognitive biases are and why they're so important for critical thinking.
  • Understand the concept of "mindware" as a component of improving critical thinking and reasoning.
  • Understand how ignoring cognitive biases can open the door to disastrous decisions, reduced performance and social injustice.
  • Understand why many businesses and industries are offering cognitive bias training to their managers and employees.
  • Be able to describe several important cognitive biases -- such as confirmation bias, pattern-seeking, anchoring, and hindsight bias -- and give examples that illustrate how they operate.
  • Understand what "debiasing" is, and be able to describe several effective strategies for reducing the harmful effects of cognitive biases.
  • Explain why many businesses and organizations resist implementing debiasing strategies.

Course content

13 sections · 50 lectures · 2.5 hours of video 1 article

  1. 1Getting Started 3 free previews3 lectures · 9 min
  2. 2What is a Cognitive Bias? 4 free previews4 lectures · 8 min
  3. 3Cognitive Biases and Their Importance for Critical Thinking2 lectures · 8 min
  4. 4Why Are So Many Industries Offering Cognitive Bias Training To Their Employees? 1 free preview5 lectures · 24 min
  5. 5A Gentle Introduction to Cognitive Biases2 lectures · 3 min
  6. 6(1) Confirmation Bias 1 free preview5 lectures · 16 min
  7. 7(2) Pattern Seeking 1 free preview5 lectures · 19 min
  8. 8(3) The Anchoring Effect5 lectures · 10 min
  9. 9(4) Hindsight Bias3 lectures · 10 min
  10. 10Introduction to Debiasing Strategies 2 free previews4 lectures · 7 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Anyone who is interested in improving their critical thinking skills.
  • Anyone who wants to learn about what psychology has taught us about human judgment and decision-making over the past forty years.
  • Anyone working in business or other organizations who wants to improve the quality of thinking and decision-making in their organization.

What you need before you start

  • Students do not need any special background to benefit from this course. Just a willingness to think, learn and discuss!

How it compares

Against the other 503 rated Udemy courses in Teaching & Academics on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 42% of them
  • Reviews34,953#5 of 504 by number of reviews
  • Length2.5 hoursshorter than 63% of them
  • Last updatedSeptember 2018earlier than 88% of them

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Course Description

Critical thinking is one of the most important skills anyone can learn. Let philosopher Kevin deLaplante introduce you to the cutting edge of critical thinking education, with this entertaining and enlightening introduction to cognitive biases and their importance for critical thinking. 

Interest in Cognitive Bias Training Has Exploded

Books and articles on the impact of cognitive biases in business, finance, management, teaching, science, politics, and many other fields, have exploded in popularity in recent years. Many industries have started offering cognitive bias training to management and workers, and the trend is growing. 

Benefits of Understanding and Mastering Cognitive Biases 

Cognitive biases undermine critical thinking by making us vulnerable to faulty beliefs and bad decisions. Cognitive bias training is motivated by a desire to avoid disasters, improve performance, and promote social justice. 

The good news is that there are proven strategies for neutralizing or minimizing the negative effects of cognitive biases. These "debiasing" techniques can be surprisingly simple and effective. 

What You Will Learn in This Course

This course will get you up to speed on what cognitive biases are, why they're important for critical thinking, why cognitive bias training has become popular, and what sorts of "debiasing" techniques have been shown to be effective in improving the quality of thinking and decision-making.

Check out the free preview videos in the "Getting Started" section for a full breakdown of the topics covered in the course, and how the course is organized!
Read More All Levels All Levels product length iconTime: 2.5h

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Instructor Details

Kevin deLaplante

I'm a philosopher of science by training, and I've taught philosophy and critical thinking at the university level for twenty years. 

From 2009-2013 I was Chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Iowa State University. 

In 2015 I left my tenured academic job to pursue a career as an independent online educator. I produce video tutorial courses on topics in science, philosophy, critical thinking and communication skills.

I also do consulting and coaching, and run a membership community dedicated to improving our "Argument Ninja" skills!


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Reviews

4.5

34,953 ratings on Udemy

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By Stanley Bailey on 8/17/2026

I have taken a number critical thinking classes but what I want is a new look into critical thinking. Now I am questioning my past decisions

By Boris Bogdanov on 7/28/2026

Well structured, more practical approach with biases not just a summary. What to consider and not, how to approach and resolve/avoid.

By Siva Nagaraju on 7/23/2026

I am having a great experience with the course so far. The content is engaging, informative, and relevant to my learning goals

By Kadhiravan S on 7/20/2026

Excellent course! The lessons were clear, well-organized, and easy to understand. I learned a lot of practical concepts that I can apply in my work. Highly recommended!

By Colin McCarry on 6/22/2026

I think that the course has been well presented so far and I am interested in seeing how cognitive biases affect critical thinking.

By Eleni Siaini on 6/12/2026

A very interesting course necessary to take for all job position levels. improves the way we see ourselves and others and improves our critical thinking in decision making process

By Alexander Okoko on 3/9/2026

Very insightful. I believe consciously identifying our biases and the sources of such biases help us identify and avoid some decision pitfalls and we can become better team members and leaders. At the same time, I think it's almost impossible to avoid some form of biases in most of our everyday lives and activities. For instance, we tend to leverage on our past experiences in predicting possible outcomes of business decisions, learn from our mistakes and even coach others. It will be interesting to know how to harness benefits of biases (if any) in making optimal decisions, because I believe there should be several pros to leveraging on biases too.

By Ameer T. on 2/11/2026

Clear, practical, and eye opening. This course breaks down cognitive biases in a way that is easy to understand and apply in daily life. It helped me spot weak arguments faster and make better decisions with more structured thinking. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to sharpen their reasoning skills and upgrade how they think.

By Liliana Rubi Nava on 12/19/2025

Given that the subject is too broad to cover in such a short course, I believe the speaker did an excellent job at describing and highlighting some of the most common biases. The curse subject is thought provoking and not at all overwhelming.

By Claudia Bittner on 10/30/2025

Great course! Full of useful information but not overloaded. Clear and understandable and sometimes a mirror of my own behavior.

By Dalia El Sebaie Mohamed on 12/20/2020

Good course

By Alexis Robinson on 12/20/2020

Very informative

Showing 12 of 310 reviews

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Overall Score : 90 / 100

Master Cognitive Biases and Improve Your Critical Thinking
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 2.5h
  • Price: $13.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon September 2018
  • Level: All Levels All Levels
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:50 in 13 sections
  • Students:87,400
  • Subtitles:18 languages
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