Unconscious (or intuitive) tendencies or biases are cognitive distortions. They are a natural part of human perception and of any and all judgment and decision-making. Such tendencies take effect in fractions of a second. Examples include confirmation bias, group think, or age and gender bias.

Although these thought patterns initially act unconsciously and very quickly, like an autopilot, people can learn to deal with such impulses and apply processes to avoid them.