Error Management Theory
A theory of perception and cognition biases referring to how humans think and make decisions using heuristics and biases that have survived evolutionary history, because they hold some evolutionary benefits.
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Origin
Developed by evolutionary psychologists Martie Haselton and David Buss in a 2000 paper. They argued that when the costs of two types of errors are unequal, evolution favors the less costly mistake. Classic example: ancestors who assumed a rustling bush was a predator (false alarm) survived more often than those who assumed it was wind (missed threat).
Updated February 22, 2026