The hard–easy effect is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to overestimate their chances of success on tasks they perceive as difficult and underestimate their chances on tasks they find easy. This phenomenon leads to overconfidence in difficult questions and underconfidence in easier ones, as shown in various studies in decision-making scenarios.
In a 1997 study, participants were asked general knowledge questions, and the results indicated that they were more confident about their answers to harder questions while being hesitant about those they deemed easy. This trend has been observed across different studies, confirming the bias.
To mitigate the hard–easy effect, individuals can practice calibrating their confidence through reflection on past performance and using objective criteria to assess their abilities, rather than relying solely on subjective judgments of task difficulty.