Default bias
Etymology
From "default" (Old French "defaute," a failing or lack) and "bias." The concept became central to behavioral economics in the 2000s, popularized through "nudge" research showing how preset choices shape outcomes like retirement savings and organ donation.
noun phrase · /dih-FAWLT BYE-us/
The tendency to stick with whatever option is preselected rather than actively choosing.
What it names
Explains the quiet power of the default setting — the box already ticked, the plan you were enrolled in, the option you never changed.
Example
Countries with opt-out organ donation have far higher rates — the default bias does the rest.
Related idea
The status quo bias is the broader preference for things as they are; default bias is the sharpened version that designers exploit by choosing what’s preselected.