Cognitive Illusions

Cognitive Illusions, edited by Rüdiger F. Pohl and published by Routledge in 2012, emerged as a comprehensive academic survey within the field of cognitive psychology. Designed as both a textbook and a reference guide for researchers, the volume collects contributions from leading scholars to explore the systematic errors and biases that characterize human judgment and memory. The work functions as a critical synthesis of the experimental literature, aiming to provide a structured framework for understanding how cognitive architectures often deviate from normative models of rationality.

The book’s design prioritizes clarity and academic rigor, reflecting the standard editorial approach of the Routledge Psychology Press series. By focusing on the mechanisms behind illusory phenomena—such as the framing effect, hindsight bias, and illusory correlation—the authors intended to bridge the gap between classic laboratory findings and broader psychological theory. Upon its release, it was well-received by the academic community for its balanced coverage and its accessibility to graduate-level students, firmly establishing itself as a standard resource in the study of human cognitive fallibility.