Scope neglect, also known as scope insensitivity, is a cognitive bias in which individuals fail to appropriately factor the scale of a problem into their evaluation of its importance or value. This means that the perceived importance or willingness to act does not increase in proportion to the size of the issue at hand. For example, individuals might respond similarly to both small and large-scale problems, failing to recognize that larger problems warrant greater concern or urgency.
In a study, participants were asked how much they would pay to save migrating birds from drowning in oil ponds. Regardless of whether 2,000, 20,000, or 200,000 birds were at risk, their willingness to pay remained nearly the same, indicating a lack of sensitivity to the scale of the problem.
To overcome scope neglect, it's important to actively re-evaluate the significance of problems in relation to their size, ensuring that larger issues receive appropriate attention and concern. This can be done through structured decision-making processes that emphasize quantitative assessments and impact evaluations, prompting individuals to consider the larger context of the issues.