Positive confirmation bias in the acquisition of information

TY - JOUR

T1 - Positive confirmation bias in the acquisition of information

AU - Jones, Martin

AU - Sugden, Robert

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - An experiment is reported which tests for positive confirmation bias in a setting in which individuals choose what information to buy, prior to making a decision. The design – an adaptation of Wason’s selection task – reveals the use that subjects make of information after buying it. Strong evidence of positive confirmation bias, in both information acquisition and information use, is found; and this bias is found to be robust to experience. It is suggested that the bias results from a pattern of reasoning which, although producing sub-optimal decisions, is internally coherent and which is self-reinforcing.

AB - An experiment is reported which tests for positive confirmation bias in a setting in which individuals choose what information to buy, prior to making a decision. The design – an adaptation of Wason’s selection task – reveals the use that subjects make of information after buying it. Strong evidence of positive confirmation bias, in both information acquisition and information use, is found; and this bias is found to be robust to experience. It is suggested that the bias results from a pattern of reasoning which, although producing sub-optimal decisions, is internally coherent and which is self-reinforcing.

KW - Positive confirmation bias

KW - Selection task

KW - Information acquisition

U2 - 10.1023/A:1005296023424

DO - 10.1023/A:1005296023424

M3 - Article

SN - 0040-5833

VL - 50

SP - 59

JO - Theory and Decision

JF - Theory and Decision

IS - 1

ER -