or any cognitive bias, there are specific steps one can take to protect against its influence. That said, I think it’s best not to get hung-up on responding to each bias individually — there are so many, it

Instead, adhere to the following list of best practices for user research. They’re worthwhile guidelines in general, and they’ll also provide a practical and effective defense against cognitive bias.

Create a research plan before you start. Know what questions you’re trying to answer and make decisions about how to run the study accordingly.
Be thoughtful about how you screen and recruit participants, referring to your study’s objectives when deciding what kind of users you need to focus on. A group comprised mainly of college students might be perfect for research into a textbook trading app; it could be the cause of serious selection bias in research about something more general.
Be explicit about your assumptions up front so that you’re aware of them and can consciously look for the opposite. Identify your assumptions with others on your team, list them out, and come back to them periodically to keep them in mind.