Ostriching is the cognitive bias used to describe humans’ avoidance of thinking about uncomfortable things, like an ostrich putting its head in the sand. Ostriching occurs when a person puts off thinking about an uncomfortable issue affecting them, so the individual never forms an intention to take action.
Examples:
An individual does not want to think about the idea that the abuse they receive from their partner could be gender-based violence.
Thinking about cancer is scary. So people avoid thinking about it, never even getting to the point of making an intention to go to a doctor and talk about it.
What it is not:
Putting off doing something uncomfortable - that is procrastination.
