Close cousins: negativity bias is that bad outweighs good in general (one insult beats ten compliments); loss aversion is its money-and-decisions form (a loss hurts about twice an equal gain).
| Negativity bias | Loss aversion | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All experiences: feedback, news, memories | Specifically gains vs losses |
| Strength | Bad looms larger than good | Losses ~2x as painful as equal gains |
| Shows up as | Replaying one harsh comment | Holding a losing stock too long |
Negativity bias is the broad rule that bad hits harder; loss aversion is that rule applied to choices about gaining and losing. Dwelling on the one bad review is negativity bias; refusing to sell at a loss is loss aversion.
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